Desert Rose
by AxCfangirl
Summary: When Ledonir meets Cagalli for the first time, she is only his charge, his responsibility. As he watches over her for years, however, she becomes much more than that. AC
1. Chapter 1

English is not my first language. Please bear with grammatical errors.

And for your information, my fic is based on the remastered version (but I watched the original version, too).

**Disclaimer: I don't own GS/GSD.**

* * *

**Desert Rose**

* * *

"Excuse me!"

Ledonir Kisaka shifted a bag in his arms which was full of things his mother had bought so that he could have a better view of the owner of the voice. He was accompanying his mother to shopping at the small market at the center of Tassil, his hometown. He was rather big and strong for six, and liked it when his mother asked for his help for some physical work. It made him feel like he was being treated as someone older than his age, even when the task was just carrying a bag.

He and his mother were currently standing at the edge of the market; they had just finished giving their orders to a meat vendor and the vendor was gathering the meats they had ordered.

A gray off-road car had stopped near them and the driver, a middle-aged black man with glasses, was leaning out of the open window toward their direction. The car looked nice, unlike old, beat-up cars Ledonir was familiar with. It sparked an interest in him and he took several steps toward the car.

"Do you mind telling us if we can find a car repair shop around here? Our car's having some problem," the driver continued, his eyes moving between Ledonir and his mother who had followed him.

"I'm sorry, but we don't have an actual shop of that sort here," Ledonir's mother, who was also holding a bag full of goods, replied. "But there's a mechanic who works in such a shop in a bigger town and takes care of most of our cars during his free time. I believe he's willing to help you."

"That sounds good. Will you tell us how to reach the mechanic?"

While his mother and the driver were talking, Ledonir observed the car more closely. Although it was covered with sand just like everything else here, it seemed like a newly bought one indeed. There was no obvious damage in its body, like a missing door, and the shape somehow looked smart, sharp, like cars he saw on TV. There was some luggage bound on the roof.

Ledonir's attention then shifted to what was inside the car. The tires were big and Ledonir had to stretch out his body to look into the car. A middle-aged woman who was probably the driver's wife sitting on the front passenger seat, whose clothes looked more expensive than his mother's though Ledonir wasn't completely sure.

He moved his eyes toward the back seat where he found a girl a couple years older than he was. His mouth fell open. With smooth black skin and big coal eyes, the girl was beautiful to an unbelievable extent; her creamy white headscarf which completely covered her hair and surrounded her face accentuated her delicate feature. It looked like a life-size doll—which the doll maker had created with all his heart and passion—was sitting there.

Noticing his stare, however, she smiled at him, which made his heart jump. He dumbly gazed at her, almost star-struck.

"Hi." Her voice was sweet and rung like a bell.

As she leaned in his direction and waved at him, the movement caught her headscarf and strands of her hair slipped from under the cloth. She hurriedly covered her hair again, but there was enough time for him to see the hair was silver, which was a weird color for a child's hair. And it had looked nothing like the silver hair of old people; it had been as if the strands were made of moonlight, shining against the night of her skin.

He stared at the girl who turned her back toward him and scooted toward the other side of the car as if trying to escape from his gaze.

An uncannily beautiful person with a weird-colored hair. His eyes widened, his mouth opening even wider for a different reason from the previous one. _She must be a Coordinator!_

He looked up at his mother. "Mom, did y—"

But then, his mother squeezed his shoulder hard, throwing him a look clearly telling him to shut his mouth. And he did, out of surprise rather than fear of being punished later. His mother wasn't particularly strict or frightening. Yet, there had been something hard in her gaze when she looked at him.

Ledonir was reminded of the time when he had gotten into a fight with a boy one year younger than he was because the other boy had taken a toy truck from Ledonir's younger brother and made him cry. His mother had praised Ledonir for protecting his little brother, but scolded him for punching someone younger and smaller, telling him to use a more peaceful means.

At that time, although he had felt dissatisfied with being reprimanded, he had still been able to understand what displeased her. But now, he was puzzled. What had he done wrong this time? He knew it was rude to interrupt a conversation, especially one between adults, but she usually didn't act like that when he did.

With confusion, he stared at his mother who was looking at the driver now. "I hope my direction was clear enough," she told the man with gentleness which was typical of her.

"Yes, I believe we can find the man easily. Thank you for the help," the man replied. His voice and face seemed a little tense for some reason. Ledonir's puzzled eyes noticed that the woman on the front passenger seat looked nervous as well.

"That's good. I'm glad I could be of help." Ledonir's mother smiled warmly. "Have a nice day. I wish you good luck on your journey." She waved a hand, sending a gentle smile to the man, the woman next to him, and the Coordinator girl. Her hand then touched her desert rose pendant, a stone which was said to be a bringer of good fortune.

The driver's face seemed to slightly relax. "Again, thank you very much for your kindness. Good luck to you, too." With that, he got the car moving again.

Trying not to drop his bag, Ledonir pulled a hand of his mother who was watching the car which was quickly disappearing from their sight.

"Did you see that girl's hair? It was—"

"You speak too loudly. Be quiet." She interrupted him with a low voice. Her eyes then darted around, her hand straightening her headscarf a little nervously.

He looked at her with puzzlement. Her face was somewhat tense, which reminded him of the driver's.

"But she had silver hair, Mom," Ledonir persisted, though he tried not to speak in a loud voice as his mother had said. "I bet she's a—"

"I know." She cut him off again, which made him perplexed and somewhat frustrated.

Clearly seeing that, she let out a sigh and fully turned to him. She was about to say something, but the meat vendor interrupted her, calling out her name and shouting her meats were ready.

She looked at the vendor, raised her hand in his direction, and pulled Ledonir's arm a little. "Come. We should go. Other customers are waiting." Then she added, "We'll talk later. When we get home."

After a moment, he nodded. "Okay."

Although he preferred to know the reason of his mother's weird behavior now, he didn't mind waiting for a little while. He wasn't an impatient person, or a little child who threw a tantrum when his mother wouldn't let him have his way.

Fortunately, the meat vendor was their last stop, and they were back at their home before long. They first put what they had bought in the refrigerator and cabinets. His mother went on to take a jar of green mint tea out of the refrigerator, poured the tea into two cups, and sprinkled some sugar in them.

They sat at the dining table, opposite from each other, each having a cup of tea in front of them. She took a sip before opening her mouth.

"Don't tell anyone you met a Coordinator, let alone where they went or how they or their car looked."

He blinked a few times. "Why?"

His mother's face was solemn. "You know there are cruel people, Ledonir. People who don't like Coordinators and try to harm them. You don't want that girl or her parents to get hurt, do you?"

"Of course not. But it's not like I'm going to tell someone like...like Blue Cosmos. I'll tell only my friends."

"Still, you never know who's listening. Not to mention rumors spread fast. And the news might reach the ears of someone dangerous—or someone with bad intentions. Blue Cosmos members aren't the only people who hate Coordinators. ...People can be more malicious than you think," she said sadly, which made him a little uncomfortable, then looked straight into his eyes. "So, promise me you won't tell."

He thought for a little before asking, "I can't tell even Ro?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Especially Ro. You know he can't keep secrets." She shook her head, though her face and voice revealed her affection toward his little brother.

"I guess so," he said in an agreeing tone, relieved that his mother was acting more casually. Normally.

"Can you promise not to say anything to anyone?" she pressed.

To be honest, he still didn't quite understand what she had said. But he could sense that she was dead serious. So he gave a nod. "I promise."

Her face softened. "Good. You're a good boy, Ledonir. I'm proud of you." She reached out to pat his hand. "And thanks for helping me shop today. You should go out and play now."

She quickly finished her tea and stood up. He followed suit.

"Yeah, I'm going to the palm trees," he told her and left his house to find his friends and his younger brother.

As he ran through the town, the promise he had made to his mother and his puzzlement concerning it were lingering in his mind. At the same time, the promise gave him a sense of pride. He felt like an adult, sharing a secret with his mother. He was determined to keep the promise and prove to her that he could act like a grown-up.

Holding to his resolution, he didn't discuss the Coordinator girl with anyone, even with his mother, for years, though he recalled the girl's charming smile and strange hair from time to time.

* * *

There were several miniature date palm trees on the southeastern edge of Tassil, nurtured by water drawn from the oasis next to the town. Unlike usual date palm trees, they grew only up to two or three meters tall, and weren't hard for children to climb. A handful of children always hung around the trees. This morning, as far as Ledonir could see, four boys were up the trees and eating the ripe dates they had just plucked from the trees. Smaller kids were running around the trees or asking those on the trees to throw them some dates. There were also three girls sitting and chatting in the shadow of a tree.

Ledonir was also sitting in the shadow, about a dozen steps away from the trees; his back was against a wall of one of the houses next to the trees.

He and his brother used to play around the trees as well, before Ledonir grew out of it and started deeming it as a child's play; after that, his brother had come here with other kids his age. Ledonir was the one who had taught his brother how to climb a palm tree, pushing the small body up, giving instructions about where his hands and feet should be, and steadying him when he nearly lost balance. And when his little brother had finally reached the top of a palm tree for the first time, he had beamed with joy and pride. Ledonir had returned the smile and, after his brother climbed down, given praising pats on his head.

The memory twisted his heart hard and Ledonir gasped with pain. He squeezed his eyes shut and remained that way for a couple of minutes. As he opened his eyes again, he roughly rubbed tears out of them.

As his gaze aimlessly wandered over the palm trees and the children, something he had heard years ago came back to him. Miniature date palm trees were genetically engineered so that they would remain short and be easier for people to pick their fruits. He didn't know whether it was true or had never cared. But now, it wouldn't leave his mind. If what he had heard was true, the trees could be called the tree version of Coordinators. He wasn't sure what to feel about it.

"There you are."

It took him a moment to realize the words had been directed to him. A tall man with wide shoulders was walking toward him. Although it was hardly a familiar face, Ledonir recognized him.

Then, his eyes were drawn to a chain dangling from the man's hand. He squinted his eyes to realize that it was his mother's desert rose pendant the man was holding. Anger instantly filled him; he felt like the man had violated his mother's privacy and memory. But the emotion quickly subsided as Ledonir remembered that the man who was a stranger to him was actually his uncle, her mother's brother. She probably wouldn't mind her brother touching her belongings as she hadn't when Ledonir, his brother, or his father did.

Besides, considering who the man was, Ledonir might know why the man had the pendant to begin with. It was probably the same reason why a red leather string was tied around Ledonir's head. A string that belonged to his father. His late father.

The man stopped beside him, then sat on the ground without words. Not far from Ledonir, but not too close either, to Ledonir's relief. Ledonir didn't want the man to act too friendly to him, as if they knew each other well, which they didn't. The man lived in a foreign country and Ledonir had met him in person for the first time several days ago. The man had come to attend the funeral of Ledonir's parents and brother.

After a short silence, the man opened his mouth again. "We were wondering where you were."

"I wanted some fresh air," Ledonir replied without looking at the man.

Since the death of his family, his house was always crowded with his neighbors coming to show their condolences and his relatives visiting from far places, and he felt suffocated there. But he had no intention of explaining that to the man.

Silence fell on them again, though cheerful voices of the children drifted toward them to fill the air.

"This seems like a good place for kids to play." The man broke the silence after a couple of minutes. "You and your brother must've played here a lot when you were younger."

"Maybe we shouldn't have."

A sidelong glance told Ledonir that the man was raising an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Those trees are like Coordinators. Maybe we should've cut them down and burned them," Ledonir said, watching a boy on a palm tree teasing younger kids at the foot of the tree with a cluster of dates in his hand.

Ledonir didn't really mean it. He only wanted to vent his anger at the unfairness of the world that had been making him suffer, and the trees were just an easy target.

He felt the man's eyes on him, but stubbornly kept his own gaze on the trees.

"Do you hate Coordinators?" The man's voice was calm.

Ledonir's shoulder involuntarily shook a little. After a minute, he asked back, "Why do you wanna know?"

"I live in a country called Orb. You may have learned this in your school, but it's one of the few countries on the Earth that treat Coordinators as equals to Naturals. Some of the people I work with are Coordinators."

"So you're trying to defend Coordinators." Ledonir couldn't help an accusation in his voice.

The man's expression didn't change. "Coordinators didn't kill your family."

"That kind of thing would've never happened without them," Ledonir shot back.

His family had been killed in a terrorist attack by Blue Cosmos in Banadiya; it was a first in a couple decades around here, people said. As far as Ledonir knew, there was no Coordinator living in the area, but some Coordinator tourists visited the town from time to time. The attack had targeted those Coordinators, but claimed many collateral victims including Ledonir's family who were visiting the nearest big town on the weekend.

As he had reached his teenage years, Ledonir had become less interested in spending a long time with his parents and kid brother when he didn't need to. Besides, he had just gone to Banadiya a week before with his friends; one of them had an older brother who had his own car and agreed to take the boys to the town.

Therefore, Ledonir had declined to accompany his family and instead had gone to hang out with his friends at the house of Repair Guy who worked in a car repair shop at Banadiya and took care of repairing most cars and other machines in Tassil as partly a side job and partly a favor to his neighbors. On weekends and holidays when he stayed at his home in Tassil, the guy let youngsters watch him work on machines and sometimes even allowed them to help him; Ledonir and all his friends enjoyed going to the place.

That was how Ledonir was left alone, with his whole family gone.

"Your family wouldn't have been killed without those terrorists," his mother's brother calmly corrected. "The problem isn't Coordinators. It's people like Blue Cosmos members, people like those who killed your family. They always find a reason to hate other people who are different from them in one way or another. It happened to be Coordinators this time, but it didn't have to be. Without Coordinators, they would just find some other people to hate and kill people anyway."

Ledonir compressed his lips together, wanting to argue back. A part of him still blamed the Coordinator tourists for coming to the area, being at the same place as his family. However, the rest of him knew the man was right. Coordinators weren't the ones who had caused the attack; the Coordinator tourists were as much of victims as his family.

He still struggled inwardly for a while, but eventually, let out a long, resigned breath. "Mom never hated Coordinators," he murmured.

It wasn't that the part of him that blamed Coordinators was gone. But his mother probably wouldn't want him to do something like that. She had tried to protect the Coordinator girl with silver hair and her family years ago. If she were alive, his mother would be as sad for the Coordinator victims of the attack as for the Natural victims; she would probably say a similar thing to what the man had just said if someone blamed Coordinators for the attack like Ledonir, and some of his relatives, had been doing.

"I'm sure she didn't," the man said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

Ledonir glanced at the man to find him gazing at the desert rose pendant in his hand. He hesitated, but then, slowly told the man about the first time—actually the only time—he had seen a Coordinator in person. It was the first time he talked about the Coordinator girl.

There had been times before when he was tempted to talk about the girl. However, he had always recalled his mother's words that he was a good boy and that she was proud of him, and kept silence. He had not wanted to betray her trust and disappoint her. Not to mention that as he got older, he had gained a better understanding of why she was so cautious about the Coordinator girl.

But telling this man didn't feel wrong. Ledonir didn't think his mother would disapprove of it.

The man silently listened to Ledonir's story, and after Ledonir finished, murmured, "Your mother was always a kind and thoughtful girl..."

His mother's oldest brother turned his face away to look in the distance. There was a deep crease between his brows and his lips were tightened into a firm line as if he was trying to hold back something. Something like a storm inside him which had been strengthened by the memories Ledonir's story had triggered. A storm very similar to the one that had been raging inside Ledonir. Studying that face, Ledonir realized that the man didn't seem like a stranger anymore.

A few minutes passed, then his uncle exhaled a breath and looked back at Ledonir.

"Anyway, I asked if you hate Coordinators because if you do, you probably wouldn't want to come to Orb with me."

Ledonir was caught off guard. His grandparents on both sides were dead for years. None of his uncles and aunts, including the man in front of him, lived near; Ledonir barely knew them. To him, family meant his parents and his brother. He no longer had a family.

And he knew that his relatives were unsure about what to do with him. From what he had overheard, they were arguing who should take him in; there were some merits, and some drawbacks. But none of them had discussed the matter with him, or in front of him.

"Even if you don't hate Coordinators, you don't have to come with me," the man continued. "You can go with someone else, or keep living in your house. I think fifteen is old enough to live by yourself. Or we can find a family here in Tassil willing to look after you. Your parents left you some money, and I can help too. I believe we can make it happen whichever option you choose." The man paused, looking Ledonir square in the eye. "It's your choice."

An interest in this man slowly grew inside Ledonir as he stared back at the man. It was probably because of the way the man had been acting. He had been treating Ledonir like Ledonir was an adult, not a child. And certainly not a pitiful child who had lost his family in a very tragic way, which everyone else seemed to have been treating Ledonir as since the terrorist attack.

With this man, Ledonir didn't feel like he was pitied, which made him irritated and reluctant to interact with others. He somehow felt like he and the man were simply sharing their grief, as if they were some kind of comrades fighting through this difficult experience.

The thought led Ledonir's mind to the man's profession. Or it might be the man's job that had put such a thought into Ledonir's mind to begin with.

Either way, Ledonir found himself asking, "Why did you become a soldier?" He wanted to know more about this man. He needed to in order to decide what to do with the man's offer.

His uncle blinked, then thought a little before asking, "Why do you think those terrorists attack people?"

Ledonir gave the man a little offended look. Did his uncle think he was stupid and didn't know such a simple thing? "To terrorize people. That's why they're called terrorists."

His uncle nodded. "Yes, to spread terror. But that's not their only purpose. They also want to spread hatred. They want others to become like them, become the kind of people who justify harming the innocent with their hatred or pain."

Ledonir opened his mouth, then hesitated, but asked anyway, "So...are those terrorists trying to make us hate Coordinators like they do by killing people?"

"That's one of their purposes, I suppose," the man quietly answered.

Ledonir felt utterly stupid, and almost ashamed. He had been doing exactly what the terrorists, the people who had killed his family, wanted him to: blaming Coordinators for the terrorist attack.

His uncle didn't try to comfort him, which Ledonir appreciated. Instead, the man started to talk again.

"Stopping terrorism isn't just a matter of power. You need more than military power to do that. You need to show people there is more in this world than hatred and despair and violence. You need to show them hope." Then, the man quirked his lips. "Well, it's not exactly my words. That's mostly what Chief Representative Athha—the leader of Orb—says. He is the most respectable person and the most devoted leader I know, and I'm honored to serve under his command." There was a deep admiration in the man's voice and face.

"Orb is called a country of peace," his uncle continued with a proud tone. "Orb doesn't invade other countries or interfere with other countries' affairs. Although it has a strong military power, it uses it only to protect itself. Instead, it uses a different kind of power. It promotes ideas, like co-existence of Naturals and Coordinators and equality between the two races. It's been trying to show the world that Naturals and Coordinators can live together peacefully, respecting and accepting each other instead of hating and killing each other."

"Does it really work?" Ledonir asked suspiciously. It wasn't like he had something against the idea. But right now, after the incident that had killed his family, it felt too idealistic.

"It's not easy," his uncle admitted. "Orb isn't a paradise where everything works perfectly well. There are conflicts. There are people who oppose the idea of equality between Naturals and Coordinators. But we still try. To make a better world."

The last phrase resonated with Ledonir. "Like a world where terrorist attacks won't happen?"

"It's probably impossible to eradicate terrorism. But I believe we can create a world where less terrorist attacks happen," the man replied.

Ledonir thought about what his uncle had just said for a little while, but then, frowned. "You haven't answered my question. If you think there's something more important than military power, why are you a soldier?"

"Because that's what I do best." His uncle shrugged a little. "I'm sure I make a lousy politician. I believe I can contribute much more being a soldier.

"Just because military power isn't the most important, doesn't mean it's not important. It is. We need to be strong so that we can protect the ideas we promote. Sometimes, we need to fight with guns to create a peaceful world. And that's what I'm doing in Orb. I'm supporting and protecting those who can change the world without guns, like Chief Representative Athha. I'm fighting for them, and fighting against those terrorists. I'm a sword and a shield for Chief Representative Athha and people like him, and I'm proud of it."

Ledonir stared at his uncle, and the man looked back with a somewhat sad but determined face. "Although Blue Cosmos attacks people everywhere, neutral countries are their major target. And Orb is the most famous, and most vocal about building an equal and peaceful relationship between Naturals and Coordinators, among neutral countries."

"So they want to shut you up. Stop Orb from doing what it's doing," Ledonir said slowly, his mind whirling with the information his uncle was giving him.

"Exactly."

"Did..." Ledonir swallowed. "Did something...like _that_ happen there a lot? Do those terrorists attack Orb often?"

"There are many attempts. But fortunately, we've been successful in stopping most of them before it actually takes place and harms people."

"You protect people from Blue Cosmos."

"I do. Well, I did when I was working for the counterterrorism division until a few years ago. Right now, I have a different job."

Ledonir was silent for a while before saying, "I wish you were there." His eyes burned as he almost chocked out the words.

He truly wished the man, who knew how to stop those terrorists, had been there to protect his family when they had been attacked. He desperately wished someone had protected his family like his uncle and his co-workers had protected many people. He wished _he_ had had such a power.

His uncle's face turned sorrowful. "I wish that too, Ledonir. I really do."

A heavy silence enveloped them. After a long moment, Ledonir opened his mouth again. "Will you teach me how to do it? Protect people. Fight against terrorists. I want to know."

He had not been able to protect his family. But maybe he could obtain the power to protect innocent people like them, people like his mother who didn't hate those different from them and tried to help them. Maybe he could bring down those terrorists. Maybe he could contribute to making a more peaceful world where less people had to die like his family.

His uncle looked at him with deep eyes, with deep emotions, then answered, "If that's what you want."

Ledonir quickly wiped his eyes with a fist.

"I'll go with you then."

* * *

The butler of the Athha estate led Ledonir to a room which faced the garden. A middle-aged woman was waiting for him there, who gave him a curtsy and introduced herself as the caretaker of the young lady of the house. Then, she added with an apologetic look that the lady herself, whom he was supposed to meet, was missing for the moment.

The words caused a frown on Ledonir's face. "Do you mean something happened to her? Should I call for backup?" He moved a hand to his headset, ready to contact other guards assigned to this estate.

The woman—Myrna—hurriedly waved her hands. "Oh, no, no. Nothing serious. She just went to play in the garden and hasn't come back as she should have." She then added with a hint of resignation, "Unfortunately, this isn't an unusual behavior for her."

"I see." He nodded, lowering his hand. The little girl had probably just lost track of time playing.

"I apologize on her behalf. I sent several maids to find her, but they haven't succeeded yet. I'm going to look for her myself now, and as soon as I find her, I'll bring her here so that she can apologize to you herself." She motioned toward the floor-to-ceiling window which was open to the porch leading to the garden, appearing ready to take off.

"Do you mind if I accompany you?" he asked. "I'd like to familiarize myself with the layout of the estate, and it seems like a good opportunity. I can also help you search for the lady."

"Of course not. I appreciate a help."

She smiled, and they went out to the porch and climbed down the short stairs to the garden. Myrna went straight toward the trees planted along the wall of the estate.

"Come this way. She must be somewhere in the woods."

As they reached the woods, she started calling out the name of the girl. Following the woman and glancing around to both memorize the sight and look for a sign of the child, he touched the collars of his military uniform. The pristine uniform felt a little tight. But he had to look impeccable at least until he formally greeted the young lady.

As soon as he graduated high school, he had entered a military academy where he excelled. The training his uncle had given him through the three years they had lived together had turned him into a good fighter. He had graduated with top grades a couple of weeks ago, and was going to work as a member of the Noble Guards, soldiers who guarded noble family members, while taking college courses and advanced military training for the next several years. Today was his first day on the job.

He had been assigned to the unit guarding the Chief Representative and his family. Which was quite an honor for a novice soldier, he had been told. From what he had heard, the Chief Representative had requested someone young for his daughter's bodyguard and Ledonir had been chosen because of his good records and of his uncle who had a good reputation in the military and even the Chief Representative's trust.

The members of the Noble Guards were carefully selected; they had to not only be loyal, devoted, and capable, but also know how to keep secrets for they were likely to learn a few, or a lot more, during their job, which could cause a huge disturbance if revealed to the public. Candidates were thoroughly inspected, including their connections like family and friends. Many of them were from families whose members had served as noble guards for generations, and an immigrant like Ledonir rarely passed the rigorous testing. Ledonir suspected that in addition to his uncle's connections, the fact that he no longer had his family or close relatives in a foreign country had worked in his favor.

To be honest, he wasn't completely happy with the job which was following around a little girl. If he could have his way, he wouldn't be here searching for the girl. But his opinion had not been considered, which was the usual way of the military.

A little before he had completed the basic training program at the academy, he had been suddenly summoned to the principal's office and told that he had been chosen as a candidate for noble guards and therefore going to transfer to another academy to take special courses. He had been surprised, and reluctant, but quickly hidden those emotions and accepted the news without a question, much less a complaint. Even officers-in-training knew that absolute obedience was expected of soldiers.

He had complained a little to his uncle, though, who told him to always take his mission—any mission—seriously and try to do his best. And he was willing to follow his uncle's words despite the dissatisfaction with his job. Since he had moved in with his uncle, he had developed a healthy amount of respect for the man.

Also, his uncle had reminded him that the members of noble families had a higher possibility to become a target of terrorist groups than an ordinary citizen; and that protecting the girl might not be so different from his original purposes, one of which was protect innocent people from terrorists. Not to mention Ledonir was going to protect one of the future leaders of Orb and could make some influence on the future of the country, and possibly that of the world.

His uncle might have said those things mostly to motivate Ledonir. Still, his uncle had a point, Ledonir had admitted.

Besides, there were advantages of the job. Members of the Noble Guards moved up through the ranks a lot more quickly than general soldiers, which meant he could acquire power and authority and become the person who could protect many people sooner than he had expected.

"Princess! Where are you? Come right out!"

Myrna's voice, which was getting louder and louder, brought him back to the present. The woman was pushing aside the bushes here and there.

His attention fully back to the tasks at hand, Ledonir scanned the surroundings as well. His eyes suddenly stopped, catching a movement on a nearby tree. He narrowed his eyes, his body slightly tensing. Stealthily, he walked over, putting a hand on his gun at his waist. It was probably a gardener, but he couldn't be sure and should keep his guard up. He was still a soldier assigned to a prestigious job, even if he was a little more than a babysitter in actuality.

His body fully ready to act, he looked through tree branches to stare into a pair of big amber eyes. He blinked several times, processing what he had found on the tree.

A child. With disheveled golden hair and fierce eyes, and a face he recognized, though barely.

Exhaling a long breath, he relaxed his muscles and moved his hand away from his gun. "You must be Princess." He said somewhat loudly so that the child could hear him.

The girl's face scrunched up. "I'm _Cagalli_."

"Right. Lady Cagalli."

Before either of them spoke again, a high-pitched voice cut in. "Haumea, you're climbing a tree again, Princess!" Both Myrna's face and tone were disapproving. "Get down here this instant!"

Cagalli glared at him, obviously blaming him for her being caught by her caretaker, but shouted at Myrna, "I'm coming!"

She started climbing down the tree and he stepped closer to the tree so that he could receive her if she fell. Soon, however, he realized it was probably not necessary. Her movement was smooth and showed no difficulty. As Myrna's words had indicated, this girl was clearly used to climbing trees.

It didn't take long for Cagalli to stand on the ground, observing him with curiosity. He studied her as well. He had seen pictures of her in which she was wearing a dress. The girl in front of him was wearing a T-shirt and pants that looked suitable for playing outdoors. Not to mention she had gotten dirt and leaves on her. In short, she appeared quite different from what he had expected. He wouldn't voice it for it seemed like an insult to a lady—no matter how unladylike she was acting—but she looked a little like a boy.

"My, you made a mess of yourself," Myrna cried. "Haven't I told you to stay clean since you have to meet someone? But you not only didn't come back to the house on time, but also this."

She grabbed the child and started trying to clean up Cagalli's clothes and body with her hand all the while scolding the girl. Cagalli pouted to show her displeasure, and wiggled out of Myrna's clutch.

"You're hurting me, Myrna. Besides, he's not a guest. He's going to see me this way a lot. Then why shouldn't he see me like this today?" the girl said cheekily.

"Because today is your first meeting with him," Myrna argued back, attempting again to make the girl look as presentable as possible. "It's rude to meet someone you haven't met before in such a state. You really need more etiquette lessons." It was obviously a threat, which the woman seemed to have every intention of following through on.

Cagalli huffed with a scowl. "They are just a waste of time. I'd rather—" Then, her expression changed as if she had remembered something. She quickly raised a hand in front of the face of Myrna who had just opened her mouth to retort. "I'm going to greet him now, okay?"

Her caretaker threw a glance at Ledonir, who had been silently watching the exchange, and nodded, albeit reluctantly. Cagalli turned to face him.

"I'm Cagalli Yula Athha. You are my new bodyguard, yeah? It's nice to meet you."

He raised his hand to salute. "Yes. Pleased to meet you, Lady Cagalli. I am—"

"I know," she cut him off impatiently. "Kisaka, right?" She looked like she was about to say more, but then, glanced at her caretaker. "You can go now, Myrna. I'm going to show him around. You want to look around, right, Kisaka?"

The girl looked up at him with intense eyes, apparently telling him without words to agree with her.

He gave a nod, having no reason to turn down her suggestion. "That would be great."

"See? So you don't have to stay." Cagalli smiled triumphantly at Myrna who raised her eyebrows to show her suspicion.

But the woman let out a sigh. "All right, I'm going. But"—her voice and face turned stern—"only after you apologize to him."

Cagalli's eyebrows shot up. "Why do I have to apologize?"

"Because you didn't show up at the time when you were supposed to meet him, for one," Myrna said strictly.

The child and the caretaker stared down each other for a moment, but then, Cagalli said begrudgingly, "Fine." She turned her face to Ledonir. "I'm sorry I didn't show up to meet you. Now you are going, aren't you?" The latter part of the words was directed to Myrna.

The woman nodded with satisfaction. "I am. Just be good, Princess."

"I will, I will," Cagalli answered dismissively, making a shooing gesture.

Myrna still gave her charge a warning look, then curtsied to Kisaka, to which he gave a polite bow, and turned around to head back to the house.

"Come on, Kisaka."

Cagalli pulled his arm and started walking in the opposite direction, looking over her shoulder to seemingly check whether Myrna was still within hearing distance. After walking some more, Cagalli stopped with a satisfied expression. But her face became serious as she turned to Ledonir and looked up at his face.

"Father said, you are going to teach me how to fight."

He regarded her who looked like she was half expecting him to deny it. "Yes. Lord Uzumi told me to."

He had met the Chief Representative earlier today, right before he came to the Athha manor, and the man had certainly said that. Only Ledonir had assumed Uzumi wanted his daughter to learn basic self-defense techniques. What else would a daughter of the Chief Representative need? Now, however, he wasn't so sure whether he should limit his teaching to self-defense or he was supposed to teach her more. He should consult his superiors later.

At his words, a wide smile spread over Cagalli's face. "Then let's start now!" She was nearly bouncing with excitement.

He tightened his face into a stern expression. "I should warn you, Lady Cagalli. It won't be easy. You need to do a lot of tough work."

"I know. I'll do anything you say and work hard. I promise."

She held out a hand, her pinky finger sticking out. His brows shot up, but she looked serious. Well, as serious as an excited nine-year-old could get.

He considered his options for a moment, then decided that it was probably best to go along with it.

As they finished making a pinky promise, she asked, "Do you want to have our practice outside or inside?"

"I suppose inside would be better. I was told, there is a training room for guards in this estate." He figured that if they practiced in that room, he could reduce the possibility that she hurt herself as much as possible.

"Okay, this way!" Cagalli began trotting, as if she found walking too slow.

Following her with big steps, he had a feeling that his job would be a lot more troublesome than he had imagined. But the prediction didn't make him feel weary or displeased. If anything, he was curious. He might even say he was intrigued. Chief Representative Athha had seemed to be exactly the person his uncle had described, a person worthy of Ledonir's respect and loyalty; his daughter seemed to be a handful, but not in a bad way. Working for the Athha family might be an exciting job that satisfied him after all.

At the very least, it was unlikely to be boring, Ledonir thought, looking at the back of the golden-haired girl full of energy, and seemingly fire.

* * *

"You should stop sneaking out of parties."

Ledonir had waited to open his mouth until her small body was within his reach. She was crouching beside a large pond in the garden where colorful flower-shaped lanterns were floating, and he had worried that calling out to her might surprise her a lot and that she might fall into the pond.

Cagalli started at his voice, but didn't lose her balance. She shifted her eyes away from the lanterns to look up at him with a pout.

"I hate parties. People talk about only boring stuff and there are a lot of stupid manners and pleasantries." She paused, then added, "And Father's so busy talking with everyone else."

Softening his face, he bent at the waist and tousled her hair lightly, careful not to mess with the ribbons on the sides of her face.

"But he noticed you were gone and sent me to find you."

She pursed her lips, silently admitting he had a point but being too stubborn—and probably still too displeased at not getting as much attention from her father as she wanted—to voice it. During the past year he had spent as her bodyguard, he had become an expert in reading her moods and thoughts. Not that it was difficult. She was pretty open, expressive and outspoken.

He grabbed her arm and lightly pulled it. "Now, stand up. It looks like you're getting your dress dirty."

She made a face, but obliged. He crouched down in front of her. The ground was muddy due to the rain a couple hours earlier, which was why the garden was practically deserted. The hem of her dress was soiled, and he patted them, trying to clean the dress though there was only so much he could do.

"You better prepare yourself for being scolded for this," he warned, pointing at the stains on her dress.

She pouted. "If Myrna doesn't want me to get a dress dirty, she should stop making me wear one."

He didn't say that attending events that required such formal clothing was a part of Cagalli's duties. Instead, he pointed out, "You usually get your clothes dirtier when you have pants and T-shirts."

She shrugged. "They're my playclothes. They are _supposed_ to get dirty."

He just shook his head and gave her a once-over. His eyes stopped at a flower on her chest, which reminded him of the question he had had when he had accompanied her and her father from the Athha estate to this manor earlier in the evening.

"It's rare for you to wear a rose," he commented, a little curious.

When she dressed up, she usually wore tropical flowers like hibiscus, which he personally thought suit her well. Although roses were more common among women of the upper class, they seemed too delicate and sophisticated for Cagalli. On the other hand, tropical flowers were more vibrant and natural, just like Cagalli. And he had wondered why Myrna had made Cagalli wear a rose today.

Cagalli looked down at her chest. "Someone created a new kind of rose and named it after me. She then sent us some of the roses. Flowers and seedlings. Since she attends today's party too, Myrna said it was appropriate for me to wear one of the flowers." She pointed at the rose pinned to her dress, then at her hair. "They say the color is exactly the same shade as my hair."

It wasn't very clear now, with only soft light of the lanterns and garden lamps around, but he had seen it under the bright light before and during the party. And now that he thought about it, the color of the rose in fact had appeared to be the same as Cagalli's hair under sunlight.

"I see." He gave an understanding nod. "The woman must've been pleased to see you with her rose."

"Yeah, she was." Cagalli paused, then glanced at the rose as if she had had some good idea. "Hey, stick out your chest."

He raised a questioning eyebrow.

With clear impatience, she pushed his shoulder. "Just let me work on your chest."

Knowing it was easiest to let her do whatever she wanted to, he pulled his shoulders back so that his chest stuck out. She took the rose off her dress along with the pin that had been holding it, and pinned the flower to his uniform on his chest.

He looked at her quizzically. "What is it for?"

She had been giving the flower a satisfied look, but shifted her gaze to his face. "The woman said, yellow roses represent friendship. So it's my gift for you." Then she tilted her head. "Or do you like a freshly picked one? I can get one from the conservatory tomorrow."

He was caught off guard by her words, and momentarily at a loss. He looked down at the rose on his chest, then at her, his face softening. The gesture touched him more than he would have expected.

"No, this is fine," he told her. "Thank you, Lady Cagalli."

"You know, you can call me just Cagalli."

He stared at her, at the sincere amber eyes, for a moment before smiling warmly. "Then, thank you, Cagalli." She smiled back widely.

He reached out to tousle her hair again before saying, "But I have to tell you it's time for you to return to the party."

Instantly, her smile was replaced by a scowl as he had expected. "Can't you give me a little break?" she grumbled. But soon, her face turned thoughtful, then impish. "If I go back now, will you let me shoot a gun?"

He gave her a stern look. "You are not ready to handle an actual gun," he said in a non-negotiating tone, though he knew it wouldn't discourage her.

She puckered up her lips. "I've been doing great with the practice gun," she insisted.

He shook his head firmly. "Even so, it's still too early for you to shoot a real gun."

She puffed out both her cheeks, looking away from him and kicking the ground with clear dissatisfaction.

He exhaled a breath and patted her head. "But I let you stay here for...two more minutes. So, when the time comes, you'll return to the party without making trouble. How's that?"

She glanced up at him, considering the deal. "Five minutes."

"One and a half."

"Okay, okay. Two, then."

He nodded, stood up, and took a few steps sideways to lean on a garden lamp. She kicked the ground a couple more times before bending at the waist to pick up a stone and throwing it in the pond. It flew over the floating lanterns. A light plop was heard, then silence fell over them until she opened her mouth again after a few moments.

"When will you let me use a real gun?"

"Managing guns shouldn't be taken lightly—as I've told you many times," he told her calmly. "First, you have to prove you're responsible enough to be able to handle a gun properly, and using a practice gun well and keeping it in a good condition is a necessary test."

She didn't seem convinced. "But I passed that test, didn't I?"

"So far you've been doing well," he agreed. "But I'd like to make sure you can keep it up for a longer time, not only for a couple months."

"And exactly how long do you mean?" she pressed.

"Ideally, at least a year."

"A year?!" She whirled around toward him, her mouth agape.

He raised a finger before she started yelling at him. "I said, _ideally_. It could be shortened depending on your attitude. Patience is one of the things you need to learn to be considered responsible," he added.

She still made a face, but muttered, "Fine."

"And"—he straightened himself and walked over to her—"it's time for you to go back to the party."

She eyed him with suspicion. "Already? You didn't cheat, did you?"

"If you have doubts about my integrity, you should've kept track of time yourself," he replied coolly. She didn't need to know that he had started counting at the moment he offered the deal, not the moment she accepted the deal. Technically, he had not lied. He had let her stay here for two minutes since he had said he would. Though she probably needed to be more knowledgeable about cunning means if she was to succeed her father. But it was a lesson for another day. "Now, are you going to keep your promise or not?"

"Fine, fine. I'll go back," she said begrudgingly after giving him a glare. "Happy?"

Seeing no need to reply, he simply held out a hand for her to hold, which was the proper way to escort a lady.

"I can walk on my own," she said stubbornly and walked past him, ignoring his hand.

He just shrugged, letting her have her way at least on this, and followed her who was rather stomping than walking. But he stopped her as they reached an uncovered porch leading to the party hall through a large open window. He crouched down and inspected her appearance once more in the light flooded out of the window, straightened her hair and the hem of her dress, then nodded.

"All right. You're good to go." Her appearance wasn't perfect, but was as nice as he could make it right now.

She shrugged carelessly and turned around to walk into the hall. Inside, she looked around, apparently looking for her father. Ledonir did the same, standing just outside the window, and found the man talking with several people at the center of the room. At the same time, Uzumi glanced in the direction of the window. His eyes softened at finding his daughter back at the party. The man's gaze then slid down toward Ledonir and the Chief Representative gave a nod, to which Ledonir saluted.

Also finding her father, Cagalli straightened her back and started walking toward him. With her head held high and her steps confident, she looked almost regal, like a little princess or queen. Ledonir couldn't see it since her back was facing toward him, but knew that she was fearlessly looking at other attendee whether they nodded at her in greeting or frowned at the state of her dress.

Watching her with a sense of pride for another moment, he quietly left to return to his job as a guard.

He soon arrived at the northern side of the building, which was the opposite of the pond Cagalli had been hiding at. This was the place he was assigned to guard and had stayed at before Uzumi summoned him. His partner for tonight, another noble guard who was several years older than he was, raised a hand.

"Are you done with the Chief Representative's assignment?"

"Yes, it wasn't difficult." Ledonir didn't elaborate and the man didn't ask, probably thinking that it was related to politics. "Nothing happened while I'm gone?"

"Nope. Everything's all right. Hey, where did you get that?" The other soldier was pointing his finger at Ledonir's chest, more specifically the rose on it. "Did you sneak out to have a rendezvous with a lady or what?" The man snickered.

Ledonir glanced down at the yellow rose. "No. It's a gift from my...friend."

"A _lady_ friend, you mean." The man was smirking.

"Yes, but not _that_ kind of friend," Ledonir said with a warning in his voice. Talking about Cagalli that way—even though the other soldier had no idea about whom he was talking—was not just inappropriate in several ways; Ledonir also felt like such a crude talk would stain her gift.

Fortunately, the older soldier got the hint and shrugged. "Okay. If you say so." He paused and peered inside the hall through a small window near them. "I can't wait for this job to finish, by the way. I'm getting hungry, smelling all the gorgeous aroma of food from inside. I bet they taste just as good."

Ledonir made listening sounds, though he didn't pay much attention to the man's words. Most of his attention was at their surroundings, which looked undisturbed. He hoped that the calm would remain and the party would be over without their having to use their fighting skills. Or without another escape attempt of a certain blonde's.

At the thought of the girl, his gaze went downward. As he gently touched the flower on his chest, there was a soft, fond smile playing on his lips.

* * *

Ledonir slipped out of a side door to the garage where he saw no one, and exhaled a long breath. His uncle's house was much more crowded than he had ever seen it, and he had felt a little sick. He was also tired of welcoming people as the host. He was thankful for those people to come, mostly for his uncle's sake, but he had really needed a break. Thus, he had escaped to the garage, telling people he needed some fresh air. Thankfully, no one had tried to stop him.

The garage was mostly empty, his uncle's car gone along with the owner. Ledonir stared at the wide space in the middle of the garage where the car had usually been parked. When he had come back to the house last night, he had not been able to park his car there as he often had before and opted to park it on the street in front of the house. It was still there. He had also closed the shutter of the garage so that none of the visitors would park their car inside it.

For years, he had been prepared for this day to come, the day he lost his uncle. Soldier was a dangerous job after all. His uncle had prepared him well, and Ledonir had been keeping himself together since hearing the news. Being a good soldier, he knew how not to let his emotions get the best of him.

But it didn't mean he didn't feel anything. At the same time, the feelings were different from when he had lost his parents and brother. The grief was there. The pain was there. But they weren't nearly as strong as they should be. More than anything, he felt strangely empty.

Maybe it was because his prediction had been proven wrong. He had always pictured his uncle's death, or his own death for that matter after becoming a soldier, to be something dramatic, or heroic. He had expected his uncle to die on duty, while fighting terrorists or executing an important mission. He had anticipated that there would be some people clearly responsible for his uncle's death like his family's case.

Well, technically, there was someone responsible. His uncle had died because a truck driver had lost the control of his vehicle due to heavy rain and the truck had crashed into his uncle's car. But the driver, who had survived the crash, had not meant any harm to anyone. The driver had looked guilt-ridden when he had come to talk to Ledonir at the hospital and apologized again and again. Ledonir had not been able to bring himself to blame the driver then. He still couldn't.

It might be because of this strange hollowness that had been haunting him. He was almost disappointed that his uncle had been killed in an accident. It was like a part of him that had been always tense like a balloon pumped so full of air, anticipating the bad news and ready to bring the perpetrators to justice, had popped, and he was left with the remnant of the balloon scattered around the ground, with an empty hole where the balloon had been. He was so underwhelmed by this anticlimactic end of his life with his uncle and at a loss what to do.

He had not been able to shed even a tear over his uncle's death, not because he had been trying not to cry but because tears simply had not come to him as if they—or he—thought the incident didn't deserve their appearance.

He had been wondering whether he was in a kind of denial. It was certainly easier to think so than to think that he couldn't feel enough sadness to cry at the death of a man who had taken him under his wing when he had been orphaned.

With a sigh, he shook his head and straightened himself to return to the post-funeral gathering for his uncle. Since the house wasn't large, many visitors stayed only long enough to tell Ledonir how sorry they were or what a great person his uncle had been, and occasionally leave food, but the stream of people was steady.

When the crowd finally started to thin out, a man and a girl flanked by four men stepped into the house. At the sight of them, Ledonir strode over, stopped in front of them, and saluted.

"Lord Uzumi, Lady Cagalli. I appreciate your coming today. My uncle would be very honored."

The Athhas must have been waiting for most of the other visitors to leave for a security reason. Ledonir had assumed that much, for he could be among the security detail in a different occasion, and been expecting them.

Ledonir had had a brief conversation with them before the funeral, in which the father and daughter offered their heartfelt condolences, but had not had a chance to talk with them properly. In fact, this is the second time he had seen either of the Athhas face-to-face after hearing about his uncle's accident. He had received the news yesterday at a military facility during a regular exercise required for active-duty soldiers; he had gone straight from there to the hospital and then to the mosque where the funeral was held, and had been busy preparing for the funeral.

Uzumi saluted back, his other hand holding a basket full of fruits. "Of course. I can never miss his funeral." The man's face turned pensive. "Though I would've preferred it if it hadn't happened so soon. This is such a great loss to me, both as an individual and as the Chief Representative."

Ledonir nodded, unable to find a reply.

"Kisaka." Cagalli tugged at his arm. She was wearing a headscarf and a long skirt in respect for his uncle's faith. Although she usually wasn't fond of such skirts, she didn't seem to have any complaints today. Her face was grave and concerned.

She pulled Ledonir's arm again. Knowing she wanted him to squat to her eye level, he obliged. But he had not expected what happened next. Her arms circled around his neck and small hands patted his back.

"There, there. It's all right. It will be all right."

He had seen her comfort others, or be comforted by her father, this way, but never thought he would be on the receiving end someday. He was frozen for a while, but then, felt like something warm was trickling into the empty place inside him. It didn't completely fill the hole. But still, he somehow started feeling a little better. Slowly, he hugged the girl back. The small body was warm and soft, alive in his arms.

Unlike his uncle's, which had been cold and hard and devoid of life.

The grief and pain that had felt so distant minutes ago suddenly seized him, and he nearly gasped. He closed his eyes tightly and took deep breaths. When he recollected himself enough to feel sure that he could face others, Cagalli's hands were still on his back, caressing it now. A little awkwardly, he pulled away, and hurriedly wiped his eyes before looking at the girl.

She was staring at him with wide eyes brimming with compassion. She took his hand and said, "You'll be fine, Kisaka. I got you."

It was almost comical to hear those words coming out of a little girl's mouth, who was nearly ten years younger than he was. But her face was serious, her eyes sincere, and he knew she meant every word.

A corner of his lips slightly quirked up, despite his chest that was still hurting with the emotions swirling inside him. "...Thanks."

"Cagalli is right," Uzumi said, his hand on his daughter's head. "We will be here for you. Although you've lost your family, you aren't alone. If you need anything, just ask me. And I mean it, Kisaka. Your uncle did so much for me, and you've done so much for my daughter. Let us show how grateful we are for your hard work, dedication, and friendship."

Standing up, Ledonir saluted again. "Thank you very much, sir," he said sincerely. "Those words are more than enough for me. And for my uncle, too, I'm sure."

Cagalli suddenly jumped a little. "You should move in with us, Kisaka! You'll feel so lonely living on your own. I mean, I know you've been living by yourself in barracks most of the time. But it will be different. No one will be waiting for you here anymore, and you need a new home. You shouldn't be alone. Right, Father? He can live with us, can't he?"

"It's Kisaka's choice, Cagalli," Uzumi softly reproached his daughter, then turned his eyes to Ledonir. "But if you feel like it, know that you are more than welcome."

Feeling a surge of gratitude, Ledonir politely bowed. "Thank you for your generous offer. But...I'd like to think over it."

"Take as much time as you need, and don't hesitate to choose the path that you believe is best for you," Uzumi said in an almost fatherly manner, reaching out to squeeze Ledonir's shoulder. "That's what we want for you, too."

Cagalli appeared to want to urge Ledonir to take the offer, but with a warning look from her father, remained silent.

The Athhas soon left just like the others, leaving the fruit basket as their sympathy gift which Uzumi had carried himself instead of making his bodyguard do the task.

After seeing off the remainder of the guests, Ledonir spent a couple of hours sorting out the sympathy gifts and message cards. Tired, but not feeling like retiring for the night yet, he sat on an armchair in the living room. For a few minutes, he stared at the other armchair his uncle had usually occupied. Seeing the seat empty stung his chest.

With a long breath, he took his eyes off the armchair. His gaze aimlessly wandered around the room. His uncle and he had lived together in this house for about three years since his uncle had taken him in and until Ledonir joined the military. Even after that, it was still a home to Ledonir, a place to come back to and spend time with his uncle, his only family left, in on holidays or the occasions when both of them were off duty, which had not happened many times for either one of them often had some work and Ledonir sometimes chose to spend his days off with his friends.

His uncle had seemed to never mind it when Ledonir didn't come home even though he could. Nor had Ledonir worried about hurting his uncle's feelings by not going home the way most of his friends did about their families. Like Ledonir, his uncle had not been the affectionate type or the social type who liked to spend a lot of time with people close to them; they didn't mind spending time on their own, though they didn't hate being with others.

In a way, Ledonir had felt closer to his uncle than he had to his parents or brother despite knowing the man for only about six years. They had been cut from the same cloth.

They were both quiet and had not talked much even when they spent time together. But Ledonir had liked such times. The silence had never been uncomfortable with his uncle, and he had always felt that there was a bond between them which didn't need to be verified by words. They had not exchanged many words because it was the kind of person they were, not because they didn't care about each other. They both had known the bond was there, and it had been enough.

The memories he and his uncle had shared at this house led him to the earlier conversation with Cagalli and Uzumi. He looked around the room again, paying attention to the details this time, then closed his eyes to ponder on the offer. But it didn't take him long to find his answer, what he believed was best for him.

Ledonir spent the next week sending thank-you cards to those who dropped sympathy gifts and message cards, dealing with calls or more visits concerning his uncle's death, and taking care of some paperwork. Then, he went back to his job. As soon as he set foot in the Athha manor, Cagalli came running toward him.

"Kisaka!" She stopped in front of him to study his face. "Are you all right?"

"I am. Thanks."

"So you are moving in with us, right?" she asked impatiently.

"How about we sit in a room and talk about it?" he suggested and led her to a small room next to the entrance hall.

No sooner did they sit on a sofa than she prompted him. "So?"

He regarded her for a moment, then slowly started. "I truly appreciate what you and Lord Uzumi offered me. But I decided to keep the house and not move in here."

He had already called Uzumi a couple days ago to tell his decision, but had waited to tell her until he could do it face-to-face. He knew that it was the best way to convince her and that she preferred that way.

Her face fell. "Why?"

"That house is important to me. It's still my home even if no one welcomes me back there anymore. I'd like to keep it that way at least for now."

"But you'll be alone there," she insisted.

"Being on your own and being alone are two different things. Just because I live on my own, doesn't mean I'm alone or lonely. You still have my back, right?"

"Of course I do," she replied solemnly, then her lips turned into a thoughtful pout. "Are you sure you won't feel lonely?"

"I am."

She still looked unsure. "But I'd feel lonely."

"You might. But we're different people, so we feel different," he told her.

Many people might not feel the same, but he would like to have a quiet home where he could take a break from the outside world rather than a home always full of people. So, keeping his uncle's house as some kind of hideout seemed best to him.

She appeared to be pondering on his words for a while before admitting, "I suppose so." She paused, then asked, "Are you really, really sure?"

"Yes."

She looked hard into his eyes and he looked back as intensely. After a long moment, she nodded. "Okay. But you can visit us anytime you want."

"I know." He tousled her hair. "Though I have to remind you I spend more than half of my waking time here babysitting you."

Although he had been assigned some other missions once in a while so that he could have wide enough experience to match his high rank, his main job was still Cagalli's bodyguard.

"I don't need a babysitter!" she made her usual protest.

"No, you need a bodyguard. A babysitter wouldn't be able to keep up with you," he replied with mock seriousness.

She opened her mouth again, most likely to insist she didn't need a bodyguard either as she often did, but then, she closed her mouth and knitted her eyebrows. Under his curious gaze, she remained silent for a few moments, seemingly in deep thought

"Maybe you are right," she started to speak. "I may need a bodyguard." He raised eyebrows with a little surprise at the admission and she quickly added, "_For now_. I still have many things I want to learn. So...you should be all right until I learn all of them. You can't get into an accident or become sick or anything. Understood?"

She stared at him with a worried face.

His eyes softening, he gently patted her back. "Of course. I'm not going anywhere. I can't possibly leave a troublemaker like you alone, can I? Who knows what kind of trouble you get yourself into without me?"

She studied his face, then held out her pinky finger. "Promise?"

He linked his own finger with hers. "Promise."

Satisfied, she beamed. He smiled back.

He wasn't alone indeed. There was still a person—people who needed him, people who cared about him. People he cared about. He was going to continue his uncle's legacy, fight to protect the innocent just like his uncle had done for years, which enabled him to also protect people who were important to him. He felt even more grateful to his uncle than ever for having taught him how to fight, having given him the power to protect what he cared about.

He would become an even better warrior his uncle would be proud—prouder—of, he silently vowed. And someday, he would help Cagalli, who was both unruly and warm just like fire that was her namesake, lead Orb and protect its principles his uncle had devoted his life to defending. Although the person who had shown him this path was gone, he was more determined to follow it than he had ever been.

* * *

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	2. Chapter 2

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* * *

Ledonir threw a few small pieces of firewood into the fire he had just made to keep it steady. The sun was going down and it would be night soon. There were other fires starting here and there on the campsite of Desert Dawn which located inside a small valley.

As he straightened up, a whiff caressed him, which consisted of the hot, dry air and the smell of sand. His face slightly softened. It had already been a couple weeks since he and Cagalli had joined the resistance group, but he still felt a little amazed that he was living in the desert again after a decade of living in a city on an island. Not that he disliked it. Being here made him nostalgic, bringing up fond memories, sadness and bitterness over the loss of his family lessened by time. Though a part of him missed the humid air and the smell of sea in Orb at the same time. Both Tassil and Orb were his home, the old one and the new one, and both were important to him. That was why he was fighting right now.

He looked around at the other members of Desert Dawn scattered around the area. His gaze fell on a golden-haired girl walking in his direction. Cagalli had gone to collect supper for them. But she wasn't coming back alone. Ahmed, another combatant of the resistance group, was accompanying her.

Ledonir slightly raised an eyebrow. The boy, who had become Cagalli's first friend here, obviously had a crush on her. But she was totally clueless. Probably because of her sheltered upbringing, she was more childish than other kids her age; her disinterest in romance in general made her even more oblivious. Not to mention she had a tendency to overlook things other than what was holding her interest at the moment and she was currently pretty occupied with fighting against ZAFT.

Ledonir actually felt a little sorry for Ahmed, though he had no intention of intervening in the boy's favor. At least, he wasn't planning to step in Ahmed's ways either, as long as the boy remained harmless to Cagalli.

As the teenagers came nearer, Ledonir's ears picked up their conversation.

"—so, we were worried, if we become really short of funds, we may have to eat, like, scorpions eventually," Ahmed was saying, his face and voice dramatic. "Food has lower priority than water, or weapons."

"Scorpions? I thought they were poisonous."

"They are. But there's a way to eat them."

"Really? Are they good?" Cagalli asked curiously.

Ahmed shrugged. "I don't know. I never ate them. But I don't think they are. Anyway, that's partly why we're grateful to you and Kisaka, you know. Thanks to you, it seems we can have proper food for a while."

She nodded with a serious face. "Food is important. You can't fight well if you are hungry."

"Or if you have to eat poisonous scorpions," Ahmed quipped.

"That, too." She thoughtfully added, "The lack of supplies can have a serious effect on the morale of the soldiers, indeed." She seemed to be recalling her lessons on military affairs.

Ahmed looked a little confused, but nodded anyway. "Yeah. It sure does."

She nodded back and turned her face toward Ledonir. "Hey. Here's your meal." She held out one of the bowls she was holding.

Ledonir took it with a nod and sat down. The other two also sat around the fire, their own bowls in their hands. They started eating and chatting. Or rather, the teenagers did the talking while Ledonir silently ate and half-listened to the chatter.

Finishing his meal faster than his companions, he put the bowl on the ground and stirred the fire, watching Cagalli who was talking with Ahmed about their recent battles with ZAFT.

She actually looked like she belonged here in the resistance group, in the desert. With a tank top and a cargo pants, she looked more like herself than when in dresses; it was obvious that she enjoyed the life here, being in her element.

At the same time, she didn't look like she belonged here. There was something about her that made people feel she was more than just a resistance fighter, and it wasn't because of the glimpses of the manners of high society drilled into her which she unconsciously revealed once in a while despite her usual unladylike behavior.

It was something that came from a deeper part of her, from her core. That was what made other members of Desert Dawn call her their Goddess of Victory. It wasn't just because of the money she had brought to the group or her knowledge and skills about fighting. Although they, save Saib, didn't know who she really was, and probably didn't know why they felt that way, they somehow sensed the potential of greatness inside her. And that had resulted in the nickname they used mostly jokingly, but sometimes seriousl—

"Oh, hey, Kisaka."

Cagalli's voice pulled him out of his musing. She was taking something out of a pocket of her pants and held her hand out toward him. "Look what I found near the cave." In the hand were two brown stones consisting of many thin layers bundled together. "These are called desert roses, right?"

"Yes," he replied, gazing at the stones that reminded him of his mother.

He then wondered whether her desert rose pendant was still intact. He had stashed it in a box along with the few things that belonged to his family and he had brought from Tassil to Orb years ago, and put the box inside a closet in the house he had inherited from his uncle. He had not seen them in years, though. Maybe he should check them and clean them up or something when he went back to Orb.

"Myrna may like this," Cagalli continued, looking down at the desert roses in her hand. "Perhaps I'll bring them back when we go home. One for myself and one as a gift for her." She flashed him a mischievous grin. "A gift may distract her from scolding me, don't you think?"

He simply shrugged, doubting anything could distract the older woman but not bothering to point out what Cagalli knew well.

Instead, he warned her, "They aren't very tough stones. If you don't handle them with care, you'll break them."

"Oh, okay. I'll be careful." She started to gently put the stones back inside her pocket, but he stopped her.

"I don't think it's a good place to keep those stones. You may sit on them and crush them."

"Hm, it's likely. Then..."

Before she came up with an idea, Ahmed chimed in. "Is that Myrna person your friend?" the boy asked curiously.

Cagalli looked a little panicked. "N-no. She is, um...she is kind of my family. I mean..."

"She's the woman who took care of Cagalli after Cagalli's mother died," Ledonir offered.

She sent him a thankful look. "Yeah, she is like a mother to me."

Ahmed seemed to have bought it. "I see. Hey, if you like stones, I have a mala—"

He broke off as another boy combatant called out his name from some distance away and told him to come.

"I'll go and see what the matter is. Be back soon," he said and took off, waving.

Cagalli waved back and stretched a little. "Ah, it was a nice meal, wasn't it?"

Although she was used to much fancier meals, she had never complained about simple food here, mostly just a bowl of soup and a piece of bread. Then again, she had participated in several field training sessions—not only easier ones designed for members of noble families who had to take some military training as a part of their duties, but also normal ones for rookie soldiers—during which she had only military rations to eat, and gotten good records.

"Now I'm ready to fight again if Tiger's soldiers come to attack us at night."

He merely moved his head to show he was listening. Used to his quiet demeanor, she didn't mind it and stood up to walk over to the place where he had put aside his and her belongings before starting a fire. She put the desert roses in her belt bag and pulled her gun-cleaning kit out of it in return. She then collected her cloak, sat down again, and took her gun out of the holster at her waist to clean the gun, using her cloak as a shield against dusty breezes. It was already dark, but her concentrated face was lit up by the fire since she sat quite close to it to get enough light for her work.

She was like a rose in the desert.

The thought came to him out of nowhere, probably inspired by the desert roses he had seen earlier. Though he didn't mean a rose made by stone, but an actual plant. And not like the kind of rose she had once given him, an expensive and dainty flower belonging to well-tended gardens or even greenhouses, carefully nurtured and properly trimmed and praised by everyone. He still didn't think that type of rose suit her. She was too wild and lively.

But there were wild roses blossoming in the desert. He had seen some when he was little and his brother was just a baby. His family had been on a car, going to another town for some reason. His mother had pointed toward a couple of trees with red flowers standing alone in the desert a little distance away from the road, and said that those trees were called desert roses just like her stone pendant.

He remembered it despite his lack of interest in flowers because the trees had looked funny; the trunks were quite fat with a few branches pointing upward from the top, on whose tips red flowers clustering together. He had laughed, saying that the trees looked like people, or some kind of magic dolls, with swollen bellies and their raised hands and heads replaced by branches with red flowers. His comment had brought chuckles out of his parents.

The trees had appeared far from elegant or sophisticated; they had appeared tough and unique. And Cagalli was somewhat like them. Raw, unpolished, and not appealing to everyone, but a rose nonetheless.

Well, she was still a bud that had just sprouted even if she were a rose. Someday, however, she could bloom into someone standing tall in a tough environment without being defeated by the severe weather, wearing both her thorns to fight and her fragrance to draw people to her side. At least, it was what her father was hoping. Ledonir hoped that as well.

She most likely wouldn't become a classical beauty or a conventional leader. But she definitely had her own kind of charm and potential. She wasn't exactly popular among nobles, but at the military facilities and ones belonging to Morgenrote which she frequently visited, people were fond of her. Many of the soldiers and engineers there often scolded her or lamented her reckless behavior, but there was usually affection in their faces and voices. Her sincerity, passion, devotion, and maybe even her impulsiveness attracted people; she made people feel like helping her, supporting her, and protecting her. Those people didn't need a strong push to start wanting to follow her as well. An ability to appeal to people's emotions like that was one of the qualities that made someone a good leader.

Though she had to learn how to lead first, Ledonir internally added.

She had many good qualities, like a strong sense of duty and a huge sense of justice. Her trip to Heliopolis which had started this rebellious act of hers had stemmed from her concern about the safety of her country and her people, and she had joined Desert Dawn partly because she couldn't look past an injustice, a people whose ancestral land had been invaded and taken away from them along with their independence.

And her bravery and firm sense of camaraderie that made her put herself on the front line and risk her life along with other fighters were admirable. Just like the resistance fighters, Orb soldiers would love her for it.

However, there were as many things she had to learn as a future leader. For instance, she had to become able to entrust the actual fighting to others when necessary so that she could take a step back, see the large picture, and handle the bigger task of commanding the whole fight. Right now, she was still too impulsive and impatient, too immature, letting her desire to do everything herself get the better of her.

He had thought it was all right, albeit troublesome, for she was still young. He had assumed that there would be more time until the circumstances required her to lead the military or even the country. Since Heliopolis had been destructed, however, he had been feeling that the world might not kindly wait for her to grow up, that she might have to be forced to grow up faster than he had expected.

That was partly why he was allowing her to engage in combats, risking her life. Another reason was because he was certain that she wouldn't be satisfied unless she saw how the war was affecting the world with her own eyes and experienced it herself. But he also did it so that she could learn. Experiences were the best teacher after all. Especially to someone like Cagalli.

Her father seemed to agree with Ledonir. When Uzumi had summoned Ledonir after she had come back from Heliopolis and the father and daughter had had a big fight, he had told Ledonir that she was probably planning to sneak out of the country to head for a dangerous place like a war zone. With a grave but resigned face, the former Chief Representative had ordered Ledonir to accompany her and just keep her alive. The order had not changed when Ledonir had contacted Uzumi behind Cagalli's back and reported that she and Ledonir were going to join a resistance group at Tassil at her insistence.

Uzumi had never been an overprotective father who tried to shield his daughter from any danger. Although he took necessary precautions for her safety, he had let Cagalli engage in military training and visit the facilities belonging to the military or Morgenrote as much and as often as she wished, which was way more than her duty required. Partly for the purpose of discreetly preparing her for commanding the military someday; partly because it was Uzumi's philosophy in raising children.

Even so, it must have been a tough decision for him. His daughter had been going to kill people and might get killed, and she was still a minor. Uzumi must have hoped that she wouldn't have to be responsible for a death or experience losing her friends and comrades in a battle until she became older.

But the war was getting larger, swallowing more and more parts of the universe. And Uzumi, idealistic as he was, wasn't blind to the reality or didn't resort to wishful thinking. He had probably already prepared himself for a situation like this when he and Cagalli had had a fight concerning Heliopolis. Though it didn't mean Uzumi wasn't worried about how this experience affected his daughter.

Ledonir was worried, too. Although he let her run around the battlefield, he had still taken care to minimize the risk of her losing her life or getting seriously injured. Part of the effort had been manipulating her into agreeing to make Tassil their first destination after they left Orb, which wasn't hard at all. She was rather gullible—partly because she had her complete trust in Ledonir—and had easily bought his story that he was concerned about his old hometown and wanted to check how things were there.

He had known that ZAFT had taken control of the area and that Cagalli and he were likely to come across some conflicts around the town. He had assumed that they were going to get involved in fighting sooner or later, considering her determination to see what was happening around the world, which basically meant seeing what the battles and conflicts were actually like; and she was likely to jump into a battle to help people she felt sympathy for. Then, it was better for it to happen in a place he knew well and where he still had some connections, Ledonir had decided; those factors would make it easier for him to protect her.

He had thought there might be a resistance group, but had not expected Saib, his old family friend, to be the leader. It had actually been a good thing. Saib knew Uzumi. From what Ledonir had heard, the Chief Representative had visited the area years ago, a little after Ledonir had immigrated to Orb, and Ledonir's uncle had accompanied him; they had visited a university, where Saib was working as a lecturer at that time. Saib and Ledonir's uncle had recognized each other, Ledonir's uncle had introduced Saib to Uzumi, and the two men had gotten along well; the attitude of people from this area—to not let others control them and not control others—was actually similar to Orb's principles, and both Uzumi and Saib were firm believers of the idea. After that, Ledonir's uncle had stayed in touch with Saib until he died nearly four years ago, and even Uzumi and Saib contacted each other, like sending greetings and a little more, from time to time. Saib had also come to Orb to visit Ledonir and offer his condolences a few weeks after his uncle's funeral, which was the last time Ledonir had met him before this visit.

Knowing that Ledonir usually worked as Uzumi's daughter's bodyguard and the name of the said daughter, Saib had quickly figured out Cagalli's true identity. Even after he had reluctantly accepted her offer to help the resistance group, he had been careful not to let her engage in a mission which seemed too dangerous. Thus, letting Cagalli experience what the war was like while keeping her safe had not been so difficult for Ledonir.

Executing his secret agenda, making her learn and grow up, had not been going so well. He wanted her to realize that a war was about more than fighting and killing, that just fighting with guns couldn't stop a war. But so far, she had not been able to see beyond the battles in front of her; focusing too much on what was right before her had always been her weak point.

It didn't mean he thought that coming to Tassil was futile. Seeing how the war was affecting people seemed to have strengthened Cagalli's desire to help those in need, and she had been showing strong sympathy for people in this area, who had been strangers until a couple weeks ago and weren't even her people. Those characteristics would help her when she became a leader. But they weren't enough to change her from a warrior to a leader. She needed something more. Some strong push. Except he wasn't sure how to give it to her or exactly what kind of push could trigger such a change in her without traumatizing her.

He slightly deepened the crease between his brows, watching her give a once-over to her gun with a satisfied expression. Noticing his gaze, she smiled widely.

"Did you notice how fast I could clean my gun now? Aren't you proud your student's become so better at what you taught?" She chuckled, obviously recalling some memories. "Ah, I was a good student, wasn't I?"

"You sure were enthusiastic," he said agreeingly before adding, "Though you might've been too eager."

Cagalli's interest in combats had not been limited to physical ones. She had happily played a simulator for pilots when she visited military facilities, and even persistently asked Kisaka and other soldiers, especially pilots, to let her pilot a battle plane or a mobile armor. When they had denied her request, she had even sneaked inside a battle plane and recklessly tried to move it, though the soldiers who were in the hanger noticed it and stopped her before she caused any damage to the plane, equipment of the hanger, or herself.

But the failure, and the hearty scolding she had gotten from many people, had not discouraged her from asking Kisaka and the others. After years of being pestered, they had caved in to an extent about a year ago: If she played the crash-land program on the simulators, which she hardly played voluntarily, until she could get a perfect score first, she could sit in the backseat of a battle plane while a pilot flew the machine. Although she wasn't completely happy with the compromise, she had accepted it and satisfied the condition after months of intensive training.

They had assumed that knowing how to crash-land well would help her if she ended up piloting an actual battle plane or mobile armor someday. The increasing tension between PLANT and its sponsor nations and the fact that it had finally resulted in a war had somewhat affected their decision, making them consider the possibility that she had to escape by such a machine someday.

But they had no intention of making it happen by their own hands, at least as long as it was avoidable. They had never allowed her to actually pilot a flying machine no matter how much she insisted she was capable, which meant her pestering continued after she experienced what it was like to be on a battle plane while it was flying. She wasn't a quitter who easily gave up when she couldn't get the result she wanted or an obedient person, which were part of why she was so troublesome.

Ledonir shook his head at the memories. As if reading his thoughts, she stuck out her tongue at him.

"There is nothing wrong with liking or wanting something very much," she argued. "Besides, the knowledge I _eagerly_ acquired has been useful here."

Before he decided on what to reply, a man called out. "Kisaka! Cagalli! Saib wants you to come!"

Cagalli jumped to her feet. Ledonir also stood up and briskly walked over to where his belongings were, his eyes on the messenger from Saib.

"There's a warship near the western Minefield! And it's not the Lesseps. It's a completely new one," the man continued, which caused the air to tense. Other combatants started to rise as well.

Cagalli grabbed her fighting gear and put the gun she had just cleaned in the holster, shouting, "Where's Saib?"

"At the entrance of the valley, on a car. He's waiting for you!"

Giving the man a nod, she started to run. Ledonir was on her heels, bringing her cloak, which she had dropped when standing up and forgotten to pick up, along with his own stuff.

Minefield was what they called a place where they had buried explosives in preparation for battles with ZAFT troops. The warship might be there to clean up the place from the air, though it was a mystery how ZAFT had learned of the explosives in the first place, assuming the warship belonged to ZAFT, which was still unknown.

The appearance of a new warship would surely tip the balance and change the situation in this area. The question was how. If it was reinforcements of ZAFT, Desert Dawn would lose any hope of winning against Desert Tiger and his troops. It was even possible that ZAFT was coming after them to completely destroy the resistance group, crush their spirit if not their lives. In that case, Ledonir had to find a way to get Cagalli, who was likely to be kicking and screaming, out of the group and run away before anything happened to her, even if it meant betraying his current comrades.

If the warship belonged to the Earth Forces, however, it could work in favor of Desert Dawn. They might accomplish their goal: getting back a mining area ZAFT had seized, which allowed them to live without being controlled by anyone. Though even then, the battles might heat up and the risk of combatants dying might increase in turn.

Either way, Ledonir had to put extra effort into keeping Cagalli safe.

Running a little behind his charge so that he could keep an eye on her, he briefly wondered whether the changes the warship was going to cause would finally give her what she needed.

* * *

Ledonir had a bad feeling even before she opened her mouth.

"They are asking me to become the Chief Representative." Cagalli went straight to the point without greetings, which wasn't unusual for her, especially between them.

Her words didn't surprise him, only made his heart sink. He had already heard that Congress had been about to reach an agreement on officially requesting Cagalli to become the new Chief Representative and that other Representatives were inclined to go along with it.

At first, he had not believed such outlandish news. Holding the position of a Representative as the new head of the Athha family was tough enough for a teenager; making her the leader of a country was almost appalling. He _had been_ appalled. How could those people, who were supposed to protect children as responsible adults, even think of putting such a heavy responsibility on a minor? Granted, she wasn't just a common teenager but a noble who had duties to the country. But her joining the Cabinet as a Representative should be enough. How could someone be so cold-hearted and ask more of her, much, much more? It wasn't wartime anymore. There were others, adults and much older than she was, who could do the job.

After talking to some members of Congress he knew and was somewhat close to, however, he had had to accept it was really happening. Since then, he had been discreetly trying to find a way to make Congress drop the idea before it reached her ears. But apparently, he had failed.

"You're accepting the request," he said in a voice that didn't reveal his dismay at the situation.

It wasn't a question. He could tell by her expression, which was both determined and terrified. Actually, he could have told even without seeing it. He had always known her answer. That was why he had been trying to hide Congress' attempt from her.

"I am," she simply answered, though her voice was tight.

He knew what those politicians wanted was an Athha, the daughter of the Lion of Orb, not Cagalli herself, which she probably knew as well. She was more of a symbol to them—if not a tool—than a person, just like she was to many citizens of Orb.

But Ledonir wasn't one of them. He knew her as a person, as a girl who had just lost her father and was still grieving, a girl who was unsure about her abilities and scared despite fiercely trying not to be because she wasn't stupid even though she acted thoughtlessly sometimes.

His chest hurt. He had believed and hoped that Cagalli would succeed her father someday. He just had not thought the day came so soon, when she was still clearly unprepared.

However, he knew her. He knew she wouldn't give up without even trying just because she didn't feel ready. She couldn't abandon the people of Orb, rejecting their wish, even if she knew granting it meant she had to shoulder a burden heavy enough to crush her into pieces. Her love for Orb won out over her fear for herself. That was the kind of person she was. That was partly why Ledonir supported her and followed her. There was no doubt in him that she was worth it, worth his loyalty. This decision of hers strengthened his belief further.

He still didn't like her becoming the Chief Representative, but he knew her stubbornness very well. Also, he didn't want to shake her confidence which must be already somewhat fragile by objecting her. There would be many people who undermined her confidence whether deliberately or unintentionally; he didn't have to, or want to, be one of them. This was undoubtedly an enormous challenge, but one she had chosen to take on, and he wanted to help her do what she wanted to do and what she herself decided she should do. And right now, she needed an encouragement, a reassurance.

So, he gave them to her.

"You'll be fine, Cagalli. It's not like you have to govern the country alone. We're here to support you."

The tension in her face and body loosened a little. He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "And Lord Uzumi would be proud of you."

Her eyes turned moist and she flung herself at him. "Yeah..." She sniffled, hugging him tightly.

Patting her back, he added internally, _I am, too._

He admired her desire and determination to do everything she could do for Orb, and was proud of her for making this decision as much as he didn't like it. He was also determined to do everything he could do to support her. She was his new leader after Uzumi's death, and Uzumi had entrusted her to him. It wasn't the only reason, though. Not even the major reason. She was more than that, more than a friend even. He had grown to love her like a little sister over the years they spent together. And he was going to protect his family. She needed a pillar of support more than ever, and he would be it.

Only a few weeks later, however, he was ordered to take on a mission overseas, joining the soldier exchange program with the Republic of East Asia that was a part of the Earth Alliance and gathering intelligence on the Earth Forces, which would cause him to leave Cagalli's side for a few years.

The Sarans insisted Ledonir was the best candidate for the mission. Since the Sarans were the ones who had strongest connections with the Atlantic Federation and the Earth Alliance, and thus, had the best inside knowledge about them, their opinions couldn't be ignored. Especially when the other Representatives supported them. Cagalli was still reluctant to send Ledonir to the mission, but she gave in eventually.

While informing Ledonir about the decision, she said that she couldn't keep a good soldier like him to herself like a foolish, selfish child who was afraid of being separated from her babysitter. Although her tone was joking and she was putting a bravado as if his leaving her side wouldn't disturb her, Ledonir sensed her anxiety underneath.

He also wondered whether those words she used had not originally come from someone else, whether someone, most likely one of the Representatives, had accused her of being like that. She had sounded a little self-deprecating, which was uncharacteristic of her who had always been a confident and assertive child even when some people from other noble families mocked or criticized her unladylike behavior. And he didn't like it.

In fact, he didn't like this entire situation. He was as reluctant to go far away from Cagalli as she seemed to let him go. He was genuinely worried about her. In addition to her lack of experience and knowledge in politics, there weren't many members of noble families who supported the Athha family left in the government after Uzumi and the other Representatives had died during the war. None of the new Representatives had been a close ally to Uzumi, and Ledonir doubted they would be one to Cagalli.

The power dynamics in Orb politics had greatly changed after the war, a few of the top five noble families having lost their positions and other noble families taking their places. The Saran family was one of the families that had risen after the war. They had not been a very powerful family before the war. But thanks to their connections with the Atlantic Federation which had been of great help while Orb was trying to recover its sovereignty after the war, they were gaining a lot of power, one of the top five noble families now.

Although the Sarans had had an amicable relationship with the Athhas, Ledonir didn't particularly like either the head of the Sarans, Unato, or his son Jona. There was something about them that made him question their integrity. His suspicion had been increasing lately as the Sarans pressured Cagalli into accepting getting engaged to Jona, insisting that citizens needed some reassurance and good news after what had happened during the war and that a show of political unity like the engagement between the Chief Representative and the Prime Minister's son would be perfect.

From what Ledonir had heard, the Sarans had always wanted to secure a connection to the Athha family through the marriage between Cagalli and Jona since Cagalli had been quite little. As far as Ledonir, or anyone who had worked for Uzumi including Myrna who was Cagalli's caretaker and former nanny, knew, however, Uzumi had never actually agreed to the engagement, even though he had not flatly denied the proposal either, being diplomatic. He had taken a neutral stance toward it, saying that Cagalli and Jona could discuss the matter when she became old enough to make such a decision and that if she was happy about it, he wouldn't object.

However, the Sarans were using the lack of Uzumi's direct rejection as a proof that he had approved of the engagement. In fact, they had been acting in such a way even when Uzumi was still alive, telling people that Jona and Cagalli were practically engaged. But at that time, they had been more discreet and made it sound ambiguous enough for listeners to feel uncertain whether the Sarans were serious or they were just expressing their wish, probably in order to avoid incurring Uzumi's displeasure and causing him to reject the proposal after all.

As brazen as they were, the Sarans had never pushed it too far and Uzumi had only reproached them once in a while that they were getting ahead of themselves, especially when Cagalli was present to hear the Saran's remarks and showed _her_ displeasure, though she seemed more annoyed at someone talking about her getting engaged or married than at who her hypothetical fiancé or groom was.

That was why Uzumi had not officially turned down the Saran's proposal; Cagalli obviously had not been ready to seriously consider the matter of marriage, or even engagement. The way Ledonir saw it, to her, Jona had been more of a representative of many suitors of hers, none of whom she particularly liked; she had been displeased to hear about the possibility of the engagement between herself and Jona because she was uninterested in thinking about marriage itself rather than because she didn't want to marry Jona specifically. Uzumi had had the same opinion, and he had appeared to have decided that officially denying Jona, or anyone, a chance to court her would only limit possibilities for her instead of expanding them when the time came when she chose her husband.

Another reason why Uzumi had not done more concerning the Sarans' proposal was probably because he believed that he could always handle the Sarans and set things straight if the need arose, if Cagalli decided that she didn't want Jona as her husband after giving it a serious thought. And he surely could have.

Now that Uzumi was gone, however, there was no one who could protect Cagalli from the Sarans, and they were getting bolder. Based on what Cagalli revealed to Ledonir, the Sarans were implying that they couldn't see her as a trustworthy ally and work with her in harmony if she broke the promise her father had made and insulted the Sarans. They seemed to be manipulative, and playing dirty, and Ledonir's faith in the Sarans, which had not been much to begin with, was quickly disappearing.

He even wondered whether the Sarans were using the mission to get rid of him so that they could control Cagalli more easily. It seemed like a stretch, though, and he didn't voice it to anyone. After all, except for their zealous attempt to marry into the Athha family, it wasn't like they were doing anything to harm Cagalli or Orb in any way. Not to Ledonir's knowledge at least. And if they wanted her to agree with marrying Jona so badly, they probably wouldn't openly do something that made her hate them.

Furthermore, Cagalli trusted them. And she was caving in to their demand, though it wasn't because of the threat. She just couldn't say no when the Sarans apparently eloquently explained how it was good for Orb. She was resolved to do what was best for Orb. And the Sarans were using not only threats but also sweet words, reassuring her that the engagement was for the sake of Orb first and foremost and that she didn't have to take it too seriously; after all, she was still young, and they could always reconsider the arrangement after the situation in the country improved.

Cagalli getting engaged to Jona still didn't sound like a good idea to Ledonir. For one, he knew she had never been fond of Jona and on top of that, she now had romantic feelings for someone else who reciprocated the feelings. Even if the Sarans were going to keep their words and set her free from the engagement after several years, which Ledonir didn't quite believe they would do, the engagement could ruin Cagalli's relationship with the boy she liked, ruin her happiness, which Ledonir didn't want.

At the same time, he was aware that it wasn't enough to talk Cagalli out of the engagement. Just like her father, Orb came first for her. Her devotion was even stronger now that her father had died in protecting the country. And she was too stubborn and Ledonir had too little time before leaving for the mission.

So, he resigned himself to warning her to be careful about who to trust, that not everyone was what they seemed to be. Being an honest and straightforward person herself, she tended to forget that people didn't always mean what they said or did in front of her, and he was especially concerned that that characteristic of hers might become her downfall. She appeared to take his advice seriously enough, though she didn't seem to realize whom he had specifically in his mind while giving the warning.

He had never shown his distrust toward the Sarans in front of her, and decided that it was best to leave it that way. There was no clear reason why the Sarans couldn't be trusted when it came to their and Cagalli's job of protecting Orb. He was afraid that planting a seed of doubt into Cagalli's head would unnecessarily interfere with her job when she had to work in cooperation with the Sarans. She was hardly good at keeping a poker face, pretending to trust them when she didn't. Maybe she would become better at it in several years, but not now.

He also didn't try to convince her not to accept the engagement anymore. He assumed that the matter could wait to be handled until he came back to Orb. It was likely that he could finish the mission before she became an adult. And he didn't think that as badly as the Sarans appeared to want the marriage to happen, they wouldn't go so far as pushing a parentless teenage girl into marriage, which didn't exactly make them look good. There should be enough time to get her out of the engagement later.

He was much more concerned about how she would manage to survive in the political world where she didn't have even one ally who was loyal and powerful. She had allies, sure, but all of them had only either one of the qualities, not both.

As much as most of the Representatives, and other nobles and politicians, accepted Cagalli as their leader, it was largely because the citizens loved her and supported her. Not just because of her family name. She was the lady of the Athha family, the Princess, who had led an Orb fleet and her comrades from other countries and even bravely piloted a mobile suit to end the war, fulfilling the wish of her late father without being defeated by grief. She was a war hero, the heroine of a glamorous tale Orb citizens needed in this difficult time. And electing her as the Chief Representative was more of a show to satisfy the citizens, to keep them hopeful and united, which was essential for a quick recovery of the country.

Without that factor, Ledonir doubted those nobles and politicians would've agreed to let Cagalli have the position, much less earnestly supported her. It wasn't that they disapproved of her accession. Many of them were cautiously sitting on the fence, not enthusiastically supporting her but not clearly opposing her either, obviously meaning to wait and see how things would go. If Cagalli made mistakes and her approval rating dropped, they would easily become her enemies and crush her.

Ledonir sometimes wished that Uzumi had not taken with him the other Representatives, including the Athhas' strongest supporters, when he had sacrificed his life in destructing the Morgenrote facilities and the mass driver so that the Earth Forces couldn't have them. Cagalli's current lack of powerful allies in the political world was largely a result of the then-Representatives' decision to accompany Uzumi to death. If they were still alive, Cagalli's life would be much easier even without her father's guidance.

Ledonir didn't know whether Uzumi had not thought that the nobles who were left would be so unhelpful to Cagalli or he had believed his daughter could win them over with little effort even if they were rather doubtful of her abilities at first. Or maybe he simply had not imagined the families who had been allies of the Athhas would lose so much political power after the war. The quick and big change in the political world of Orb had been a surprise to Ledonir himself. And Uzumi was even less likely to have assumed that his daughter would be elected to become the Chief Representative soon after the war.

With a sigh, Ledonir shook his head. No matter how much he pondered, he couldn't know the answer, what Uzumi had been thinking, and his sitting here wasting time like that wouldn't help Cagalli a bit. There were many other things he had to do during the short time he had before leaving Orb.

Like talking to the boy who was going to become Cagalli's new bodyguard and Ledonir's successor. Ledonir had some concerns about him.

They weren't about the boy's ability to protect Cagalli. The boy was a former soldier with high skills, and a Coordinator at that. In addition to that, he seemed somewhat familiar with politics. His late father had been a politician after all.

He and Cagalli were good friends, and so, he should be able to listen to her and offer advice while she struggled with the problems concerning her job, which other people close to Cagalli like Myrna couldn't do for they knew little about political or military affairs. Cagalli preferred to talk about her problem with someone while gathering her thoughts on the matter, and needed someone like the boy who could be a good sounding board. And he appeared to be the cautious type who could stop her from acting impulsively and carelessly like Ledonir had been doing.

The boy was actually a quite good substitute for Ledonir as her main bodyguard, able to give Cagalli support in many ways. He could even give her what Ledonir couldn't give, which was also the main concern for Ledonir. The boy and Cagalli weren't only friends now. They were also lovers, and secret ones at that. Ledonir worried that such a complicated relationship might affect the boy's performance or reliability. Also, as much as the boy might be able to strengthen Cagalli more than Ledonir could because of the love the young couple shared, he could also weaken her in a way no one else could.

After giving the boy some advice concerning the job, like the ones that would be useful in handling Cagalli, Ledonir asked point-blank, "I know this job won't be easy for you, especially considering Cagalli's engagement to Jona Roma. But I ask you to take care of her. Can I count on you?"

"Yes," the boy answered without hesitation. "I'll protect her with all my power, with my life."

Ledonir regarded the boy for a while, then nodded, deciding that was probably the best he could have, though he wasn't entirely reassured.

Ledonir knew the boy meant what he had said. However, even though he appeared mature and was a Coordinator who was supposed to grow up faster than Naturals, the boy was still a teenager, just like Cagalli. And this situation would be tough even to an adult.

Not to mention his race and who his father was could make the job even harder for him. Orb treated Naturals and Coordinators as equals legally, but it didn't mean there was no prejudice or discrimination against Coordinators, especially among conservatives. Although the boy's true identity was a secret, people on the top of the government and the military were aware of it, as well as the fact that the boy's father had planned to destroy the Earth, which wasn't widely known to public. And not a small portion of those people were discriminatory against Coordinators, albeit not very openly, or distrustful of "that son of Patrick Zala."

The boy was allowed to work close to Cagalli only because he was a personal bodyguard hired by the Athha family, not by the government or the military. Currently, Cagalli, or the Athhas, didn't have enough power to give the boy such a public position. At the same time, it didn't mean he could avoid those people or being exposed to their mean attitudes; being the Chief Representative's bodyguard required working around them.

He might find his working situation no longer bearable after some time, and leave Cagalli, which would hurt her and probably make her vulnerable, an easier prey to her enemies.

To tell the truth, Ledonir had wondered—more than several times—whether it was really a good idea to let the boy stay around Cagalli despite her wish to keep him close. The boy being a Coordinator wasn't much of a problem. His being the son of Patrick Zala and using an alias because PLANT, his former home country, saw him as a traitor was more difficult to handle, but still manageable.

However, combining those factors with his being in a romantic relationship with Cagalli, the matter became risky even without Cagalli's engagement to Jona Roma Saran. The relationship, the boy, could be quite a danger to Cagalli, not only to her heart but also to her career and reputation, to her future.

And Ledonir's job was to keep her away from danger. It might be his duty to intervene and separate the couple before their feelings became too strong and thus the pain of breakup would be too intense.

Every time the idea crossed his mind, however, he asked himself whether Uzumi would approve of it. And the answer was always no. If Uzumi were alive, he would tell Ledonir to wait and see how the relationship would unfold, to let the young couple make their own decisions about which path to go instead of being forced into a path that other people had decided would be good for them. He would want Ledonir to protect the couple from people who tried to break them up, so that they could choose their paths more freely, live lives of their own choosing even if a lot of pain and suffering came with it, instead of trying to protect them from each other or themselves due to the worry that the youngsters might get deeply hurt.

After all, you couldn't protect someone from all the pain and suffering no matter how hard you tried. The best you could do for someone you loved was prepare them for it, help them develop the strength to endure the pain and suffering and the resilience to recover from the damage, and if possible, be there for them while they were going through tough times.

That was what Uzumi would say. That was the kind of person, the kind of father, Uzumi had been.

The day might come when the young couple regretted their choice to get into a relationship, thinking it as a mistake. But then, they were the only ones who had the right to decide whether it was a mistake. And even if their relationship was actually a mistake, not letting someone make mistakes was more or less not letting them live. You had to allow people to make mistakes and then, help them learn from them, had to give them a chance to change and grow up. That was another thing Uzumi would say.

And so, Ledonir had decided to honor Uzumi's will and let Cagalli do as she wished concerning the boy and their relationship.

A part of him was also hoping, or rather dreaming, that the romance between Cagalli and the boy could grow into a relationship which gave hope to everyone who desired for a world where Naturals and Coordinators lived hand in hand. He very well knew such a thought was premature. The couple was still quite young, they had just started dating, and they were going to face much more obstacles than Natural couples or Coordinator couples, or commoner couples. The possibility that they got married someday and stayed together for the rest of their lives was very slim. But if it actually happened, their relationship would certainly go down in history.

Then again, in order for it to happen, the relationship might need a protection of an adult, of someone like Ledonir. While Ledonir was away in a foreign country, he couldn't protect either Cagalli or her relationship with the boy.

He had actually considered rejecting the assignment. He was no longer a fresh recruit. With his current position and power, it wasn't impossible, though not easy. However, it not only would put him in a bad light but also could undermine Cagalli's position as the Chief Representative before she even got the job officially.

Everyone would assume—and not incorrectly—that he had made the decision for Cagalli's sake, to stay by her side, which made her look weak and incapable, not trusted to be able to perform her job on her own even by her closest confidant who knew her very well. People were already saying she was getting the position she didn't deserve only because of her father. Since Ledonir didn't want to make things even harder for her, his hands were pretty much tied.

Besides, it wasn't like he could give her a lot of help, aside from moral support, as she walked through the rocky world of politics. He regretted that he had not made wider connections, had not made many friends in the political world, or to be more specific, friends who weren't very close to the Athha family. His influence was mostly limited to the military and those who had been allies of the Athhas and would be Cagalli's ally regardless of his existence. When it came to politics, he couldn't give Cagalli much more than she already had.

As for the military, there were plenty of supporters of the Athha family, and of Cagalli, without him. Therefore, as long as the blue-haired boy could stay close to her and support her emotionally, Ledonir's absence wouldn't affect her too much, he reassured himself.

His worry was still not gone, but what he should focus on was completing the mission as quickly as he could so that he could return to Orb as soon as possible. After that, it would be easier for him to stay by Cagalli's side until she grew up both as an individual and as a leader and wouldn't need him to be close to her anymore.

All he could do now was have faith in Cagalli, and the blue-haired boy, and pray that they would be fine while he was gone.

Thus, he left Orb, thinking he had done everything he could do but still having a bad feeling deep in his gut. To his chagrin, nearly two years later, he realized that his foreboding had been right, hearing the news of Cagalli getting married to Jona and being kidnapped from the wedding by the Freedom. He had to admit that as much as he distrusted the Sarans, he had underestimated them, their desperation or greed, or cunningness. At least, Cagalli's brother and friends had rescued her from the marriage he was sure she didn't want. Still, he wished that he had been there for her as well. Then, he might have been able to stop the situation from becoming that bad for her.

Months later, he also realized that his worry about the blue-haired boy had turned out true when he found the boy, wearing a ZAFT uniform, inside the cockpit of a mobile suit that had run away from a ZAFT base and been shot down by other ZAFT mobile suits.

* * *

"As a result, we estimate this new body armor to be at least three times more effective than the current one used in the military. Well, when we get rid of that problem I mentioned earlier, that is."

The technician in front of him closed his mouth and Ledonir nodded. "Very well. Thank you."

Today, he was visiting Morgenrote to watch a test on a new body armor the company had been creating. There were some technical problems and it seemed to take a while for the body armor to be available for a real combat. But it looked promising enough. Satisfied at the result of the test, he started leaving the lab, but a familiar female voice stopped him.

"Admiral Kisaka."

He turned around to find a woman walking toward him. "Director Simmons." They exchanged light, friendly bows.

"It's a surprise to find you here," Erica Simmons said as she reached him. "Aren't you too busy to come to oversee a test yourself? I thought you were still handling paperwork for your recent mission." Then she smiled. "I heard it was a big success. Congratulations."

He was currently the head of the counterterrorism division and his teams had raided the local headquarters of an international terrorist group last week in collaboration with the police. It must be what she was referring to.

"Thank you. In fact, I still have some papers to take care of. But I'd like to keep tabs on the development of new tools we're gonna use in the field," he explained. "And watching tests with my own eyes and talking to the technicians gives me a better understanding than just reading reports, which helps me decide which tool I should adopt for my soldiers."

She nodded admiringly. "You're so dedicated to your job. Your subordinates are lucky to have a boss like you."

"Thanks. I hope so."

"But you must be tired then. Did you already have lunch?"

"I did."

"Then, if you can squeeze in a break, why don't you come to my office and have some coffee?" the woman who was several years older than he was warmly offered. "You need to rest from time to time in order to give your work your best, don't you agree?"

He went over today's schedule in his mind and gave a nod. "I'll take you up on your kind invitation, then."

They started walking toward her office, discussing the new mobile suit her team had been creating. Although there had not been a big war for almost eight years, it was still important to be prepared. Thanks to the national policy to welcome immigrants with open arms, which Orb had been doing even before the two big wars, and technological exchanges with PLANT and other countries Orb had been putting emphasis on after the wars, Orb was still one of the top countries in the universe in science and technology. And Erica was confident that their new mobile suit would be among the best in the world. Her face was shining with pride as she explained that to him. Listening to her description of the mobile suit and asking questions once in a while, he nodded with a similar emotion.

As they reached her office, she offered a chair to him and headed for the coffee maker. Taking a seat at a small table, he glanced at the clock on a wall. Then, an idea occurred to him. There was a call he had meant to make today, but he had not yet been able to find time. He had had to eat his lunch while discussing work with his subordinates. This might be a good opportunity.

He called out to Erica, who looked at him over her shoulder. "Do you mind if I make a quick call?"

She smiled. "Go ahead. But I hope you aren't still working when you're supposed to be on your break?" she added teasingly.

Ledonir lifted the sides of his lips and shook his head. "No, it's a personal call."

"Ah, that's good. You are properly resting then."

Chuckling, she turned back toward the coffee maker and he pulled out his mobile phone. It took a while before the person he was calling answered.

"Hello. Kisaka?" A deep, familiar voice came from the phone.

"Hello, Saib. I hope this isn't a bad time."

"No, it's okay. I just finished my breakfast," the older man casually replied. "How are you?"

"I'm doing well, thank you. How about you and your family? And Tassil?"

"We're doing good, too. Tassil's also fine. Well, there was a small conflict with some guys from Banadiya at one of the mines a couple days ago. But nothing we couldn't handle."

"That's good. If you need anything, call me," Ledonir offered.

"We will, thanks. So, what made you call me?" Saib paused. "Did anything happen to that gift for Cagalli?"

"No, it's fine. In fact, it arrived yesterday, and I wanted to say thank you."

"Ah, good. I hope it's as nice as it looked in the picture and you're satisfied."

"I most definitely am," Ledonir assured the other man. "And I'm sure Cagalli's gonna love it."

Saib laughed. "I'm sure she's the only leader of a country around the world—I mean, former leader—who'd be happy to receive such a simple gift. No offense, Kisaka. I think it's beautiful and a good gift. But it seems to me to be more fitting for a gift for a commoner like me. She must be getting plenty of extravagant gifts."

Ledonir smiled at Saib's affectionate tone. "You know she doesn't care much about fancy things. She cares much more about weapons than jewelry or dresses, for instance."

The ex-leader of Desert Dawn let out another laughter. "That I know. I haven't met a girl who enjoys firing guns as much as she did. Old days, huh?"

Ledonir looked up as a mug full of coffee was placed in front of him. He nodded thanks, to which Erica nodded back.

"It's good to hear she hasn't changed much after all these years," Saib was saying in a nostalgic tone. "Even the engagement couldn't transform her into a lady, I suppose?"

"No, it didn't. I doubt anything can."

"That's probably a good thing." Saib's voice turned a little apologetic. "It was nice talking to you, Kisaka. But I have to leave soon. I have an important appointment."

"It's all right. I just wanted to thank you for your help."

"You're welcome. Send Cagalli best regards from me and my family. Oh, and tell her she should bring that fiancé—or husband—of hers to Tassil someday."

"I will. She probably wants to visit as soon as possible. I know she misses you guys and Tassil."

"Then, also tell her there's no need to rush. I know she's still quite busy even though she stepped down as the Chief Representative."

Several months ago, after about nine years of holding the position, Cagalli had resigned as the Chief Representative and was now working as one of the Representatives. She had become a good leader and many people had wanted her to remain the leader of Orb, but she had decided that her stepping down was in Orb's best interest. And she had done what she believed was best for Orb as always.

"I don't want her to work herself too hard to make time for the trip," Saib said, then chuckled. "I know firsthand how impatient and reckless she can be."

Ledonir shared the chuckle. "I'll make sure to emphasize the part where she shouldn't push herself too much when I relay your message."

"You do that. Okay, bye, then. Have a nice day."

"You too. Good bye."

Hanging up, Ledonir turned to Erica who was sitting at the opposite side of the table, sipping her coffee, and curiously watching him. Probably hearing Cagalli's name had sparked her interest.

"It was my friend in Tassil, my hometown," he explained. "He helped me find a wedding gift for Cagalli and Athrun."

She nodded with understanding. The young couple had announced their engagement to the world two months ago and been in the middle of planning the wedding.

"Can you believe Lady Cagalli is getting married?" Erica looked almost amazed. "It seems like just the other day when she tried to pilot a battle plane—or was it a mobile armor?—without permission, and without proper training. And got a good scolding from you and many other soldiers, and of course, Lord Uzumi." She shook her head. "Kids sure grow fast. Probably it won't be so long before my son gets married and I become a grandma."

"He's...in high school now?" he asked and she nodded. "Then I say you still have enough time to prepare yourself."

"I certainly hope so." She paused. "Do you feel relieved now that she's all grown-up and settling down?"

"Somewhat," he answered, then quirked his lips. "With Cagalli, though, I'm not so sure she's grown up that much. She still insists on piloting the Akatsuki once in a while so that her 'piloting skill won't dull.'"

With a chuckle, she pointed out, "At least, now she won't make a commotion by piloting it without letting you or Athrun-kun or Commander Fllaga know first."

"What I'm afraid now is her daughter—or son—might do the same thing as she did someday."

"Ah, that's a good point." She let out a laugh. "Probably we should hope they'll take more after Athrun-kun."

He shook his head a little. "Considering he defected twice, that doesn't reassure me much."

It was more of a joke, though. He knew very well that his blue-haired colleague was rather a stickler for rules, though the younger soldier was also stubborn and determined, which meant Cagalli and Athrun's child would be likely to be as troublesome as their mother.

Erica laughed more and took a sip from her mug. After a moment of thoughtful silence, she asked, "I don't mean to pry, but have you thought about getting married yourself?"

He lifted his shoulders casually. He was rather used to this kind of question. "Well, I've never felt the need for marriage, or even a relationship. I like having some good time with ladies now and then. But I don't really want more. I guess I'm not the marrying kind."

She nodded with a wise smile and simply said, "I see." He was thankful that she wasn't trying to talk him into having a serious relationship like some people did. "By the way, I heard Athrun-kun came to you to ask for consent or blessing to their marriage. Is that true?"

"It is. A few days after they got engaged," he confirmed.

She smiled. "It's exactly like Athrun-kun. Always proper."

He nodded in an agreeing way. The day when the young man had come to tell Ledonir about his engagement with Cagalli and asked for his blessing, Athrun had been properly wearing his uniform despite being off-duty. Cagalli called such a characteristic of his "too stiff," but Ledonir found it rather desirable. After all, he would like Cagalli's future partner to have a personality that balanced hers rather than enhanced hers.

He and Erica talked a little more about their mutual acquaintances before he thanked her for coffee and left her office. As he walked toward the entrance of the building, some memories from years ago came to his mind, apparently stirred by his conversation with Erica.

He had not always been a supporter of Cagalli and Athrun's relationship. He had thought about separating them, not only after the First Bloody Valentine War, but also during the Second Bloody Valentine War, after he had found Athrun inside the cockpit of a mobile suit.

When Gilbert Dullindal, then-Chairman of PLANT made a speech about Logos in which he called for world-wide cooperation, regardless of affiliation, in order to fight against the organization, Ledonir had still been on the mission in the Republic of East Asia. He had heard that a naval fleet of the military of the country was planning to head for Gibraltar Base of ZAFT in response to Dullindal's speech, and joined them.

He had been worried that ZAFT might become a threat to Orb since the Sarans had taken control of Orb and he had heard that the Orb forces had fought against ZAFT. So, he had decided to infiltrate a ZAFT base and gather intelligence. It had not been a part of the order given to him, but he had thought it was the best course of action, given the circumstances.

That was why he had gone after the ZAFT mobile suit that had been shot down and crashed into the sea; he had intercepted radio transmissions and learned that a couple of deserters from ZAFT had been piloting the mobile suit. All he had intended to do was help the deserted soldiers escape in exchange for some inside information on ZAFT.

By strange coincidence, and to his great surprise, however, he had ended up saving Athrun. After the initial surprise passed, Ledonir had realized the disturbing implication: Athrun had returned to PLANT and rejoined ZAFT at some point after Ledonir had left Orb. Another thing that had bothered him was that the boy was with a red-haired girl who also appeared to have defected from ZAFT.

Although he had never seen Athrun as a playboy or someone who moved on from one girl to another easily and quickly, Ledonir had not been able to help feeling a slight suspicion. He probably wouldn't have become suspicious of the nature of Athrun's relationship with the redhead in a different situation. After all, defecting together didn't say anything clear about their relationship. Two strangers could end up cooperating by accident or for convenience.

However, the fact that the blue-haired boy had seemingly left Cagalli's side to rejoin ZAFT had quite disappointed Ledonir, and it had affected his view on Athrun concerning the boy's love life. Not to mention he had supposed that Cagalli's almost marriage must have hurt Athrun and that it was possible for the boy to have gotten together with another girl because of the pain and possible anger.

The wondering whether he shouldn't keep the boy away from Cagalli had come back to him, to a larger extent. Athrun must have already hurt her by his departure and rejoining, and might hurt her even more because of the redhead.

If not for Uzumi's principle to let people make their own decisions especially when it came to their own life, Ledonir wouldn't have brought Athrun straight to the Archangel, to Cagalli. Of course, he would never have abandoned Athrun and the redhead. But he could have kept them away from the Archangel and hidden from Cagalli after bringing them to Orb. His protective side had been tempted to do so.

However, in addition to his knowledge of what Uzumi would do or say, he had also known that Cagalli would want to know about Athrun and his condition as soon as possible and see him with her own eyes, that no matter how much Athrun had hurt her, she still cared about him, if not loved him. And that she would prefer to have a chance to talk with Athrun and reconcile with him if there was a rift between them. That had been the Cagalli Ledonir knew.

He had considered all these things and mulled over what to do on his way to Orb, then decided to stick with his decision he had made about two years before: Let Cagalli and Athrun figure out what to do with their relationship on their own without interfering. He had told himself he should trust Cagalli to know what was best for her. Thus, he had never shown anyone his displeasure about Athrun's actions.

His disappointment toward the boy had somewhat decreased anyway soon after Athrun regained consciousness, as he listened to the boy confess that he had wanted the power to protect Cagalli. Although he still wished the boy had taken a different course of action, knowing that Athrun still cared about her had put Ledonir in a forgiving mood.

His feelings toward Athrun had softened further after hearing the report that the boy had joined the battle to protect Orb from the attack of ZAFT despite his serious injuries. If the boy cared that much about Orb and tried so hard to protect the country, he might not be entirely unsuitable as Cagalli's partner, Ledonir had mused.

Not that he had been certain that Cagalli and Athrun were still in a relationship and willing to stay together. On the contrary, there had been moments when he doubted that was what Cagalli had in mind.

It wasn't like she had told him that she was breaking it off with Athrun. Following his decision not to meddle, Ledonir had not asked about their relationship. Although he had not minded listening to her if she wanted to talk, she had not seemed willing, either. Probably it was largely because Ledonir had been more or less her guardian and like a big brother to her. He didn't suppose big brothers were generally considered to be the best person to discuss your love life with.

But she had revealed to Ledonir the regret over her decision to marry Jona Roma Saran. She had seemed to have realized that if she was to remain an Athha, and the Chief Representative on top of that, she had to choose her partner very carefully. Her partner had to be someone who understood the importance of the position and could wisely handle the power and authority he would obtain through his union with her.

And at that time, Ledonir had had to say that not only Jona but also Athrun didn't meet the criteria. At the very least, not yet. The boy had seemed to have the potential to become such a person who could be accepted by Orb citizens as Cagalli Yula Athha's partner, but only if he remained patient and worked very hard. Ledonir had not been sure whether Athrun was willing to make such an effort.

Or whether Cagalli was going to let him. The fact that being with Athrun was risky for her had not changed. Ledonir had never thought her as the kind of person who preferred a safe path, but he had assumed that she might break up with Athrun if she thought it was best for Orb just like she had once chosen to marry Jona for Orb's sake.

That Cagalli had clearly avoided talking with, or even looking at, Athrun after giving a speech in front of the Archangel crew a little before the warship left for space had made Ledonir almost certain that Cagalli had decided to break up with Athrun. His chest had hurt for her, since he was sure it had been a painful decision for her. Listening to her ask the red-haired girl who had defected from ZAFT along with Athrun to take care of him, Ledonir had felt even sadder for Cagalli, for she obviously still loved Athrun.

Although Ledonir had never been in a serious relationship or fallen deeply in love and therefore, been unable to truly understand her pain, he had been able to imagine at least some of it. At the same time, he had been proud of her for making a tough decision and admired her for selflessly putting someone else's needs before hers. Not just Orb's but also Athrun's. It must have been difficult for Cagalli to ask a girl who might love Athrun as well to look after him. But she had done it for Athrun's sake. That was how she was; she knew what loving someone truly meant.

Ledonir had just hoped that she would find someone who could make her happy someday, someone who could give her the same kind of love she gave others. Someone who could love her not only as just a girl or a woman but also as a noble who couldn't bring herself to abandon her responsibilities no matter how heavy they were, someone who could accept both sides of her.

But then, a surprising incident had happened during the ceremony that took place a little after the exchange. Cagalli had been hugging the representatives of the Archangel crew to show her support and trust for them and cheer them. When Athrun's turn had come, the boy had hugged her instead of waiting for her to hug him; she had hugged him back. And the hug had been more intimate than the hugs she had shared with the others, almost passionate; they had held each other tightly and for a while.

Ledonir had been watching the ceremony from a little distance away, but been able to see her aids and a few soldiers that attended the ceremony express surprise or disapproval. Though the representatives of the Archangel crew, who were all close to Cagalli and Athrun, had been smiling warmly at the couple.

Ledonir had found himself smiling the same way. Judging by the hug, neither Cagalli nor Athrun had intended to end their relationship. And if Cagalli wanted to be with Athrun and Athrun was willing to try to become a person who could give her a happiness she deserved, Ledonir would do everything in his power to help them so that they could build a future where they were able to be officially together, he had decided then.

And he had been doing exactly that for years. When the young couple had finally gotten engaged, Ledonir had felt great satisfaction and genuine happiness for them. He had also felt proud of both of them. He had known very well that the path for them to reach where they were now had been rough; years of secrecy had not been easy. But they had made it.

Really, Athrun had not needed to ask for Ledonir's blessing. Ledonir would have given it without being prompted. Athrun had grown into a person Ledonir could completely trust with Cagalli, a person most of Orb citizens welcomed as the partner of their beloved Lioness of Orb. Many people were awaiting the coming wedding eagerly, though Ledonir was sure there were only few who were looking forward to it more than he was. This time, Cagalli would be smiling a genuine smile on her wedding day and if she shed tears, it would be happy tears. And he got to watch it.

_Well_, he silently amended as he stepped outside, _she'll be smiling or crying when she isn't irritated by the wedding dress which is probably too gorgeous and difficult to move in for her taste, that is._

Picturing how she would be on the wedding day, which he was confident was very close to what was actually going to happen, he smiled to himself. Cagalli wouldn't be the perfect bride many people expected her to be. But the day would surely be exceptional, just as she was.

* * *

As Ledonir opened the entrance doors of the Athha manor instead of knocking them and waiting for a servant to open them, with a box under his arm, he came face-to-face with the butler.

They both stopped in surprise for a moment, then the butler politely smiled and bowed.

"Good afternoon, Admiral Kisaka."

"Good afternoon. I have an appointment with—Representative Athha."

He avoided mentioning her by first name, seeing there were a handful of people behind the butler who didn't work at the estate. Not that it was necessary to hide his close relationship with the mistress of this mansion, but he didn't feel the need to flaunt it, either.

The butler nodded and motioned toward one of the rooms next to the entrance hall. "She is waiting for you with Admiral Zala in the Fountain Room."

Ledonir thanked the butler and headed for the room. Judging from the snippets of conversation he overheard as he passed by the group of people escorted by the butler, they were the wedding planner, the dress designer, and others of the sort.

He remembered hearing that Cagalli had a meeting with those people when he made the appointment. That was the major reason why she was at home this time today, which was convenient for him. He had not known Athrun was with her, but it was actually better, considering the purpose of his visit today.

His eyes fell on a plump woman coming from the very room he was walking toward. They met around the center of the entrance hall.

"Hello, Kisaka." Myrna smiled. "I'm just getting something to drink for Lady Cagalli and Athrun-sama. Do you like sweet mint tea as usual?"

"It's perfect. Thanks."

"I'll be back soon then."

Parting with Myrna, he resumed walking. As he neared the large room facing the garden which was often used by Cagalli to welcome guests, a familiar voice reached his ear.

"Remind me why we can't just elope and get it over with? This is crazy, really," Cagalli was grumbling.

"Because we have to do it right," Athrun's voice answered in an appeasing tone. "We need as many people on our side as possible. And having a proper wedding that satisfies them is one of the ways."

"Yeah, I know," she said with a sigh. "But those talks about dresses and flowers and fabrics are seriously giving me a headache."

Ledonir arrived at the entrance to the room where the couple were talking. He could see Athrun sitting on one of the sofas, his back toward the entrance. He couldn't see Cagalli at once, but then, noticed her legs, clad in a maroon pantsuit and propped up on one of the armrests which was farther from Athrun. She seemed to be lying on the sofa with her head on Athrun's lap.

"Besides," she continued, "if we didn't have to put up with this ridiculous show, we could get married much, much earlier." Her legs moved as if she turned her body toward Athrun's and erased what little distance her face and his torso had had.

Athrun's shoulder slightly moved as if he was caressing her head or shoulder. "I want to be your husband sooner, too," he said in an affectionate voice, which Ledonir had never heard.

Deciding that waiting longer was a bad idea, Ledonir cleared his throat. The couple would be likely to continue this obviously private exchange and might even start kissing if he didn't announce his presence.

Athrun's shoulders jerked up as his head whipped around in Ledonir's direction.

"Ouch!" Cagalli yelped.

Athrun's surprised—almost shocked—face quickly turned back toward his fiancée. "Oh, sorry."

He helped her sit up as Ledonir walked around the sofa they occupied to sit on the one next to it.

"Oh, hey, Kisaka." Cagalli waved a hand, her other hand rubbing a side of her neck. It seemed that the sudden movement of Athrun's legs had pushed up her head on them and resulted in hurting her neck.

"Um, hello, Admiral Kisaka," Athrun greeted him as well, not quite meeting his eyes. The blunet looked embarrassed.

In contrast, Cagalli didn't appear to feel any mortification. "You're early. We didn't expect you for another fifteen minutes."

"My meeting was over earlier than I expected." Explaining, Ledonir placed a box he had brought on the table, avoiding a couple of binders on it.

"How is planning your wedding going?"

At his question, Cagalli scowled and Athrun put on a vague smile.

"I take it as 'not well.'"

"It'd be going well if they just let me have what I wanted," Cagalli said, her lips twisted in displeasure. "It's _my_ wedding. Then, why can't I just have it the way I want?"

"Cagalli wants things to be simple, but the planner and the dress designer, and Myrna-san, think her taste is...too plain," Athrun elaborated.

"And they are trying to force some flashy things on me," Cagalli complained. "It's all Myrna's fault, you know. If she'd made decent plans, I wouldn't have to be enduring this torture."

From what Ledonir had heard, at first, Cagalli and Athrun, or rather Cagalli, had left all the planning of the wedding to Myrna. However, the plans of the ceremony and the reception banquet and the dress designs Myrna had come up with had been quite elaborate and flamboyant, and overly feminine, which Cagalli disapproved with passion. Thus, the couple had reluctantly started to take more part in planning their wedding, which neither of them seemed to enjoy.

"I'm totally sure she did it on purpose. She knew more than anyone that I wouldn't like those plans and designs," Cagalli insisted.

Ledonir actually agreed with her on it. It seemed that Cagalli's caretaker was hoping that participating in planning her wedding would bring out her charge's feminine side, making her more ladylike. Ledonir was fairly certain that hope would end up futile, but had been keeping his silence. He was actually somewhat impressed that Myrna had not given up turning Cagalli into a perfect lady, or something a little closer to it than the blonde was now, after all these years. That woman's persistence was admirable.

As if on cue, the woman in question entered the room with a tray with three glasses. "I brought your drinks."

Myrna placed the tray on the table and started to pick up the binders on it to make space, but Athrun stopped her. "I'll take care of them."

"Oh, thank you, Athrun-sama. You are such a gentleman." She smiled with admiration.

Athrun politely smiled back and carried the binders, which Ledonir guessed were related to the wedding, to a table that belonged to another sofa set in the room while Myrna put three glasses for Cagalli, Ledonir, and Athrun: lemonade, mint tea, iced coffee respectively.

Then, the woman curtsied and left. As Athrun came back to sit next to Cagalli again, Ledonir opened his mouth.

"So, I came here today to give you a wedding gift."

He motioned toward a plain cubical box on the table. It was a little big, each side nearly a half meter, though it was mostly because many cushioning materials had been needed while it was transported from Tassil to Orb.

Cagalli stopped drinking her lemonade and perked up. "Can it be a new high-tech gun or something like that?"

Athrun raised an eyebrow at her. "Do you really think someone gives you a gun as a _wedding_ gift?"

"Why not? It'd be more useful than those jewelry and cups and plates and stuff," she argued.

"I doubt you'll need a high-tech gun any time soon."

"I may not use it in an actual combat in a near future," she agreed. "But I can practice with it in case I need it someday."

Athrun shook his head. "I really hope such a need will never arise."

She patted his shoulder with a mischievous smile. "It's okay. If the chance doesn't come on its own, I can make it happen."

Her fiancé narrowed his eyes at her. "You are joking, right?"

She shrugged. "What do you think?"

Listening to the exchange, Ledonir quietly chuckled. Cagalli sure had not changed much in some respects, even though she had quite grown up in other respects. She was still the same person as the reckless spitfire who had given him a lot of troubles. And he agreed with Saib that it was a good thing. There were many proper ladies, but someone like Cagalli was rare. And he didn't wish her to be different, become someone else.

He observed the couple who was having a staring contest. He was sure Athrun felt the same way, loving Cagalli as she was. Otherwise, Ledonir wouldn't have given his sincere blessing to their engagement.

The said blunet let out a sigh then, looking resigned. "Why don't you open Kisaka-san's present?" He prompted his fiancée.

She blinked, then nodded, smiling again. "Right. I can't wait to see what it is."

She put her glass on the table and, with childlike enthusiasm, quickly picked up the lid of the box and remove the soft materials on top of the content. She stared at what had appeared for a little while before gingerly taking it out of the box. It was a desert rose, a little larger than her palm; it was dusty yellow and looked like a small bouquet of yellow roses. Not the same shade as the actual rose she had given him as a token of friendship years ago, but still the same color.

"Wow, it's a desert rose, right?" She looked at Ledonir and he nodded. "It really looks like roses. It's very pretty," she said admiringly.

"Is this a sculpture?" Athrun asked.

"No, desert roses are made this way by the nature," she told him.

"Really? That's amazing. I wonder how it happens." Athrun studied the stone with interest.

"Desert roses are said to be a bringer of good fortune, granting your wishes. And I thought you might like this," Ledonir explained.

The idea of presenting the couple, or rather Cagalli, a desert rose had come to him about three months ago, when he was sorting out his personal stuff and found his mother's desert rose pendant. Cagalli didn't have one in her possession; the stones she had found in the desert while they were fighting as members of Desert Dawn had been broken soon after she had found them and she had not had the time to look for new ones.

And desert roses reflected his own past and her past, and their relationship. It seemed like there was nothing better to give her to show his feelings. His friendship, his admiration, his love, and his wish for her to become happy. So, he had asked for Saib's help and fortunately succeeded in finding one that fit exactly what he had in mind.

Cagalli looked at him with a wide smile. "I love it. Thanks!" Her eyes then turned back to the stone in her hands. "It reminds me of our days in Desert Dawn," she said in a nostalgic tone.

"Actually, Saib helped me find it. And he said you and Athrun should visit Tassil someday."

"Did you talk to Saib recently? How is he? And his family? Is Tassil okay?" she asked rapidly, leaning toward him.

He passed the information Saib had shared with him in e-mails during the search for the right desert rose and the call a few days ago, and added the warning that she should be patient and shouldn't try too hard to make time to visit Tassil.

"I know, I know. I need to take care of myself, yeah?" she said with a small pout, then heaved a wistful sigh, leaning back into the sofa. "But I really want to go to Tassil and see everyone again."

Athrun, who had looked thoughtful, opened his mouth. "How about going there for our honeymoon then?"

She straightened up. "Honeymoon?"

"Yeah. We haven't decided where to go yet. Then why not use this opportunity to meet your old friends?" he said with a gentle smile. "After all, neither of us has a place we want to go to as much as you seem to love going there."

Her face brightened up. "That's a wonderful idea!" She started to hug her fiancé, but then, realized she still had the desert rose before dropping it or crushing it between her body and his. She hurriedly put the stone on the table and flung herself into his arms. "You're so smart, Athrun. I love you! Thank you!"

With a fond smile, Athrun hugged her back. "My pleasure."

Soon, she pulled back and turned her face to Ledonir. "And you are of course coming with us, Kisaka, right? You _have to_. Everyone in Tassil wants to see you, too!"

"Well, I have to check my schedule and discuss the matter with my colleagues," he carefully replied. "But it's possible that I can entrust my work to them for several days." He smiled genuinely then. "It'd be certainly great if I could go."

"It definitely would be." She gave him a big nod before pulling out her private mobile phone. "I'm going to call Saib and tell him the news!"

She started making the call, but after a while, her face turned disappointed. "I get voicemail." She soon went back to the previous happy mood, though. "Hey, Saib. It's me, Cagalli. I have good news! Athrun and I—oh, Athrun is my fiancé, by the way—just decided we are coming to Tassil for our honeymoon! I'm so excited to see you again!" She paused. "Well, we haven't worked out a detailed plan yet, like the exact dates. So, I'll call you again or e-mail you when we've decided. And Kisaka may be able to come with us. Let's hope he can adjust his schedule. Okay, bye. See you soon!" She started to hung up, but then, hastily put the phone back to her mouth. "Oh, and thank you for helping Kisaka find our wedding gift. It's beautiful and I love it." With a satisfied face, she disconnected the call.

"Okay, now"—she looked between Athrun and Ledonir with an excited smile—"it's time to make a plan. Athrun, where is that paper about our schedules and the possible honeymoon dates?" she asked, looking around.

"It should be in there." Athrun stood up to walk over to the other table, indicating the binders he had placed there minutes ago.

Ledonir put the desert rose back in the box, put the lid on it, and placed the box on a sofa next to him so that it wouldn't break while they were making a plan. Then, he remembered something.

"Oh, by the way, there's one more reason why I thought a desert rose is good for a wedding gift," he casually said. Both Cagalli and Athrun looked at him. "Desert roses are also said to aid you in fertility. You should put this in your bedchamber."

He let out a laugh, watching the red faces of the young couple.

He didn't have a family in a conventional sense. His parents, brother, and uncle had died and he had lost touch with his other blood relatives; he had no spouse or kids. However, it didn't mean he was familyless. People in the Athha estate always treated him like he belonged there; he had just as strong and intimate ties with his comrades and the young woman in front of him as he had with his biological family.

Maybe that was partly why he didn't feel the need to create his own family, though he wasn't so certain that he would have married and had kids otherwise. As he had told Erica the other day, that kind of life had never truly appealed to him. It seemed like it was just the kind of person he was.

And he didn't think there was anything wrong with it. You didn't have to do, let alone want, something just because most people did or wanted it. You were your own person, with your own idea of happiness; the only way to happiness was being true to yourself, not following others or tradition.

Plus, people connected with each other in various ways. For example, he would be an uncle to Cagalli's children someday, whether those children were of her own flesh and blood or adopted. He would guide them and protect them like his uncle had him, though he wouldn't be the only guardian to them. The children would be surrounded by many people who loved them, regardless of blood ties. They would all be one big family in a way.

Such a relationship might not be very appealing to many people. But still, as with the case of desert roses—the flower kind, not the kind he had just given Cagalli and Athrun—some people were more attracted to the unconventional beauty of it. And to them, to someone like Ledonir, it could be one of the best, most precious things a person was able to have in the universe, a happiness he wouldn't even imagine trading for the other, traditional kind.

* * *

**The End**

* * *

**A/N**: Let me explain about what Kisaka thought about Cagalli and desert roses (the flower kind) in the sixth part where he and Cagalli were fighting as a part of Desert Dawn. What he thought actually doesn't fit with the facts about the plant. For example, so-called desert roses are in fact not a part of the rose family. But as he mentioned, he wasn't interested in flowers and therefore, not knowledgeable about them. His musing was based on just a vague understanding of desert roses or roses in general. So, forgive him (and me) for being inaccurate.

Anyway, if you are interested in reading about things during GS and GSD from Cagalli's viewpoint, you can read "The Lion's Daughter." If you like to know about how Cagalli and Athrun got engaged, you can read "Long, Long Time."

Thank you for reading. If you've reviewed my other fics, thank you for that, too!

* * *

***edited 02/23/20***


End file.
